We sat down with artist Elaine Biss of Elaine Biss Designs to learn what inspires her gorgeous French-style paintings and how you can find your inner artist too.
I was born in the tropical island of Puerto Rico, to a seamstress who studied high fashion and a furniture designer and carpenter. My mother taught me how to sew and handed me art supplies at a very young age. She provided the basis for what I do today.
At a very early age, I knew I wanted to draw. While in high school, my teachers noticed I was a bit more advanced than my classmates and suggested I sign up to study commercial art at the local vocational school. Since then, I attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the prestigious Parsons New School of Design in New York City.
I am a trained graphic and web designer with a background in fashion illustration. I work out of my studio in Lancaster, PA doing freelance work.
It felt like the natural course of things. Although I love graphic design, logos become the property of the client. I hardly ever see the logos printed or framed for that matter. With illustration work, there is a certain appreciation. I get to see them hanging at a home or office.
I love Toulouse Lautrec, Cezanne, Jean Cocteau, and Sonia Rykiel. Lautrec’s use of color and flawless composition in his posters has me enamored. Cezanne’s subjects in his paintings often have a haunting matter to them coupled with their facial expressions give the works a dark beauty. Jean Cocteau`s linework is high energy and ahead of his time. And lastly, I love Sonia Rykiel`s story, and work is simply modern elegance.
Sharpen your skills. Take classes and grow. Then create. Create and never stop. The more you do the thing you love, the better at it you become. Also, some of my best work is created with some sort of limitation. Either one color, just lines or shapes.
Elegance in simplicity and beauty in unexpected color.
Thank you so much! I work really hard, and I want to love the piece before I make it public. It takes doing it daily. I sketch every day on whatever I have around. From paper, a napkin, my iPad… you name it. I try different tools, techniques, paints. I am constantly exploring. The moment you stop exploring, your work dies. In the end, I do hope that my audience loves it too.
I don`t think I have a favorite designer, but I love the simplicity of the design of the classics like Chanel and Dior.
I was discovered by Dior through a “Call to Artists” type contest, which I won in 2008. I also won Woman of the Year by She Takes On The World that same year. I have been fortunate enough to work for some amazing companies! My favorite is Christian Dior, but I have also worked for Bloomingdale`s, Eileen Fisher NY, New York, and Company and Pour La Victoire NY.
Paris is a city filled with history soaked buildings that hold delicious food, modern shopping, and romantic scenery. This city spawns art. I cannot choose just one thing.
I like to wear something red, get up very early and peruse old french magazines and images. I pull my papers and watercolors, and I start painting. An average illustration takes about 2 illustrations, and I have been known to toss my final piece and start over if it doesn`t look right.
“Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.”
― Coco Chanel
It is. Especially because people perceive that digital art, as well as the availability of digital tools, is not real art. Digital tools are just that, another tool to create art. Supplies alone can be expensive, not to mention time, effort, and whatever schooling the artist had. It is not a cheap endeavor.
Written by our Paris Network Developer, Krystal Kenney
See the classic sights of Paris with this collection of Private Tours and other experiences. Great for New Travelers.
Some parts of France can’t be put into a 2 or 3-hour tour and some just take a while to get to. Venture out of Paris on an exciting Day Trip.
Experience some of the most significant works of art in Paris on a Private Art Tour. Learn about the story’s of the painters behind the works and ask questions along the way.
Taste the latest Paris Food experiences with our personal and tasty private food tours. Learn to make authentic Parisian meals, taste chocolate assortments, or…
From perfume to WW2, our private history tours are a way to see Paris in a different light.
Experience immersive music tours in Paris. Sit and listen up close to an award-winning Master Pipe Organist or learn about the history of Jazz in Paris on a private tour!
Looking for something particular? We’ll help you find it in Paris. Our private shopping tours include Antiques, Wardrobe, and more!
The Château de Fontainebleau, just 35 miles southeast of central Paris, can proudly claim to have been a sovereign residence for eight centuries. Capétiens, Valois, Bourbons, Bonaparte and Orléans, all members of French ruling dynasties, have lived within these walls. The chateau dates back to 1137—and centuries of royals have expanded this former royal hunting lodge to a more than 1,500-room estate. Most of what you’ll see dates back to the 16th century, a combination of Italian Renaissance art and French design, these rooms are some of the most intricate and breathtaking in France. If times allows, you can enjoy lunch in this charming area.
Tour Length: 5 – 6 hours
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