Elan Kesilman – Artist
I started with portraits and figures—women who are aging, working, watching, or refusing to look away. These pieces came from a need to make visible what often goes unnoticed. Over time, my subjects grew to include animals and landscapes. But the thread is the same. I’m drawn to what flickers. A look. A moment. A shift in light.
I paint to stop time. Sometimes it’s a face that caught my attention. Sometimes it’s a child busking in the streets or the way the water ripples in the lake by my home. I don’t achieve exact likeness. I aim to capture what it felt like to be there, then.
Watercolor is my medium of choice. I like the way it moves—just enough control to guide it, just enough freedom to surprise me. I often use bold color and negative space to let the emotion breathe. Lately, I’ve also come to embrace digital art.
I live and work in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where I make art and try not to forget the small things that matter.
