Hand-drawn illustration of a bird, possibly a crane, standing among abstract blue foliage, with a background of blue and beige patches.
Colorful artwork featuring a detailed drawing of a cat's face in the center, surrounded by plants and abstract shapes, with a vibrant, expressive style.
A watercolor painting of a heron with a blue sky background, on paper with torn edges, placed on a brown surface.
A printed illustration of a heron with a long beak and prominent neck in front of a blue sky background with clouds, on a piece of paper with uneven edges.
A stack of paper sheets with a sketch of a bird, possibly a heron, on the top sheet. The background has blue paint strokes.
A blue and white stenciled image of a bird, likely a heron or crane, with detailed linework on its feathers, standing among some foliage on textured paper.
A black and white cat is standing outside a glass door, looking through the window. There is a decorated card or picture of a cat with big eyes and a collar, placed near the door. Snow covers the ground and a brick wall is in the background.

About Elle Vera

A woman with short dark hair wearing a camouflage military jacket and blue jeans, sitting against a white wall.

I am known as Elle, and also as Elle Vera. I created my artist name by combining my name with aloe vera - a plant that has thorns, yet has healing properties that soothes ailments. I have a fondness for plants that have thorns, and I find aloe vera quite ironic. The art that I do is subject to duality and looks towards nature to answer questions about human nature and emotion. I don’t find that we are totally disconnected from nature if we are nature. Take it from an ecocritical lens.

Personally, art has been therapeutic and part of my own healing journey; I am encouraged to express and make peace with what I cannot control. Sometimes I’ll introduce that lack of control through environmental factors, accidents, unintentional happenings. The product of this is my artwork, that can appear to be peaceful or turbulent, encapsulating a very human, state of mind.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education and Studio Art at the University of Maryland. I have a passion for introducing art through exploration and guiding students to problem solve. What works for one, may not work for another, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work out in the end. That’s where art comes in: art provides opportunities to think outside the box, and solve problems in creative ways. I look forward to finding a creative career that allows me to guide others to express themselves through art and celebrate our individual journeys.

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