Daily Inspiration: Meet Elyse Dodge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyse Dodge.

Hi Elyse, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi there, my name is Elyse and I am a Canadian, L.A.-based artist. Growing up in Canada, I spent most of my free time exploring the beautiful mountains and landscapes of British Columbia. My mother is an artist and my father is a builder and they taught me about craftsmanship and how to use my mind’s eye to deconstruct my surroundings into shapes and colors. Looking for the colors in my environment grew into a habit and once that was paired with my passion for minimal design, it turned into an aesthetic in my work.

I have always been curious about the intersection between design and art, so in 2008 I enrolled in a two years diploma in Vancouver, BC, that covered graphic design, exhibition design and illustration. For ten years, I worked in the events industry designing experiences for conferences and festivals which taught me how to create on a large scale, how to work with clients and how to turn big ideas into reality. During those years, I continued to develop my artistic style and took on several commissioned paintings every year. In 2013 I had my first solo art show and for the next 4 years I collaborated with brands putting my art on products and taking part in shows while working a ful-ltime job. In 2018, once I had enough custom art requests to keep me busy  for 5 months and a notable gallery to sell my work, I decided to take the leap of faith and become a professional artist. I have since moved to Los Angeles with my husband and two young sons and am working on growing my business here in the US.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, this road has had a lot of unforeseen turns and bumps along the way. I think the first obstacle was right at the beginning when I was trying to decide between design and art. After graduating from high school in the Okanagan, I couldn’t choose between graphic design, interior design or fine art. I was intimidated by the technological experience that was required in the world of design and fearful of becoming a “starving artist” if I went down the other path. Although it took me a while to find the right program and the right career path I can now look back and see how every skill that I acquired along the way is applicable in my job today.

The latest obstacle I am learning how to solve is how to run a new business in a new country during a pandemic. Moving from Canada to America right before a Covid hit (while raising a toddler and baby) is not for the faint of heart. In the best of times, starting a business is incredibly challenging, but once you move countries, add a pandemic, travel closures and young kids to the mix it becomes almost impossible. My patience has been tested on many occasions and there have been many processing delays over these past two years but through that experience, I have also become way more resilient and learned how to ask for help.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My acrylic paintings and illustrations transform our favorite destinations into colorful and surreal low poly landscapes. I have been told that my art blends the freedom of impressionism with the precision of geometry. I hope that my artwork inspires you to explore the outdoors and imagine the world around you in this fantastical way – full of magic, shapes and color.

What do you like and dislike about the city?

Likes:

– I love that LA is full of creatives and entrepreneurs who have paved their own path. It’s so inspiring to know that the best of the best in so many industries chose to make this city their home. Something about that motivates me to push a little harder in my own career.

– Being able to drive any direction and know that there are epic National Parks, canyons, deserts and coasts to explore is pretty special… especially for a landscape artist.

– The weather here really is amazing, waking up to sunshine every day just never gets old.

– I love the architectural significance here in LA, especially all of the Mid Century gems that you can discover all over the city.

– The music scene! All of my favorite progressive house DJs and bands perform here. I can’t wait to go to more concerts now that things are opening up again.

Dislikes:

– The superficial culture. The influencers taking their selfies on every corner of Abbot Kinney and Melrose gets a bit old.

– Lack of walkability. I don’t love how you have to drive to go almost anywhere… and all of the traffic that comes with that.

– The city is so rundown and unkept in many areas. It seems like there are a lot of missed opportunities when it comes to city and neighbourhood planning. I think Culver City has created a great downtown core and set a good example for other neighbourhoods to follow suit.

Pricing:

• Prints starting at $150 US
• Custom illustrations starting at $1,500 US
• Custom paintings starting at $4,000 US

Contact Info:

• Email: Hola@elysedodge.com
• Website: www.elysedodge.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elysedodge/
• Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/ElyseDodgeArt/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elyse_Dodge
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4L5sGT-vurMGJDHDs_q-8Q
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/elyse-dodge
• Other: https://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/2021/06/25/mountain-ranges-valley-girls/

Image Credit:
Marc Blackwell of Blackwell Studios https://www.blackwellstudiosla.com/