I was born in Northern California where I attended Waldorf Schools, learning to knit and grow food and build things. I moved to New York City where I studied Art and Psychology with the intention of becoming an art therapist. I found that I was more interested in an art focused curriculum and transferred to California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where I earned a BFA in Illustration.

After graduating in 2014, I relocated to New Orleans where the ornate, symmetrical architecture, vibrant colors, and lush plants captured my attention. I began working with a parade krewe painting art bikes and making eco friendly throws. Through support from the community of artists I met there I was able to transition into selling my work at art markets and gift shops and online. 

Much of my artwork is painted on location or "en plein air" in the tradition of the Impressionist painters, capturing the feeling of place and time. Watercolors as a medium encourage improvisation and spontaneity, which lends itself to a place that is constantly shifting. I will never run out of inspiration in this uniquely beautiful city. 

Describe your art in three words. Loose, textural, impressionistic

Describe yourself in one word. Sensitive

What do you love the most about creating art in New Orleans? What particular part of your immediate environment, in your neighborhood specifically influences your work? I love the feeling I get when I'm walking or riding my bike around the city and I see a house framed by a huge oak tree, or a porch overflowing with plants, and it looks like something out of a dream. I have a never ending list of places that I want to paint in New Orleans. It's something about the combination of colors, architectural details, and the wildness of the plants that creates a very unique and magical visual experience, and I can't get enough of it.

Describe your creative process. Are there any rituals or rites of passage you exercise before you begin a new piece? Working on location I draw my inspiration from direct observation. I see shapes and make marks with my brush, and I love to play with the tension between realism and abstraction.

Where do you draw inspiration? The people and places around me inspire my work. I try to capture the light and colors and feeling of what I'm seeing in the moment as I paint. Working on location inspires spontaneity as things are constantly changing. I often meet people in the neighborhood as they're out walking, and the interesting conversations I have add to the experience. 

Who are your artistic influences or gurus? I love the Impressionist painters. It was studying Art History that originally sparked my passion for painting, and Monet's use of color has always fascinated and inspired me. My work is also very influenced by my Waldorf education, which involved a lot of wet-on-wet watercolor painting and discouraged outlines and the use of black.

All works listed online are available to be viewed at Where Y’Art Gallery by appointment.

The Glitter Box

Zele NOLA

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