Elena Roché of Topanga, California
LPAPA’s January 2020 Artist Member of the Month

Click for: LPAPA Plein Talk Q&As with Elena Roche  & Artwork Showcase, plus see more of Elena’s artwork at ElenaRoche.com.

Born in Lithuania and raised in the Russian part of the Soviet Union, Elena M. Roché (pronounced “row-shay”) had an adverse childhood. No one could have predicted that Elena would become an artist, plein air painter, a mother of five home-schooled children, a bed and breakfast owner and least of all an American citizen.

Elena Roché spent her first few years in the U. S. developing her own painting style. Much like a bird that was suddenly released from its cage, was Elena’s creativity. She tried many art supplies, materials and mediums. Unlike back in Moscow, her local art store carried so many art products it made Elena’s head spin. She spent countless months in her new Southern California garden enthusiastically painting California’s garden flowers in watercolor en plein air. It is something she wished she could do more of back in Russia, but the climate didn’t permit it. She developed her own pastel portrait technique. She tried colored pencils, charcoal and graphite and produced portrait commissions and architectural portrait commissions in those mediums.

Elena’s goal is to share the beauty she sees around her with people and to help the world to be a better place.

Click here to visit Elena’s website to learn more about the artist.

Click here for LPAPA’s Library of Archived Plein Talks