Mother, painter, and bestselling author, Elena designed textiles and apparel for almost a decade before shifting her focus to teaching yoga asana, then raising her son and making art. Studying and practicing Zen meditation since 2020, she received the Buddhist Precepts from Roshi Joan Halifax at Upaya Zen Center in 2023 and is now a candidate for Buddhist Chaplaincy. 

Her paintings, decks, books, courses, Holding Nothing blog and Practice You podcast offer insights into life as art and practice. She's received an RIAA-certified Gold Record for her writing on Above & Beyond's "Don't Leave" and offers weekly practices on Glo.com.

“Let Me Be Like Water”

In Taoism and Zen, femininity is characterized by a balance of ferocity and softness. The concept exemplifying this is known in Japanese as robaishin or grandmother's heart. Carrying both fluency and strength where needed, capable of smoothing edges and shaping reality, grandmother's heart flows through us all, like water.

After painting, water is introduced to the surface of each panel; respectfully allowing the flow with minimal interference is integral to the process of creation. Blending acrylic, oil crayon and pastel with water, each piece in this collection is an expression of the practice of meditation.