Elaine Schaffner
Oil and Watercolor Paintings
residing in Milton, Massachusetts

My artwork tends to be realistic with an emphasis on the interplay of color and light. My subject matter is derived from the traditional themes of still life, portrait and landscape. My works are often completed in a spontaneous manner with the act of creating often more meaningful to me than the final product. I find the process of painting to be a wonderful escape into a world of seeing and feeling that eludes any sense of time or place.

The outdoors is an integral part of who I am. I enjoy capturing the beauty and serenity found in nature. In the hectic world we often live in, I feel it is important to pause and appreciate our natural surroundings and remove ourselves from all of our manmade distractions.

Nostalgia brings me back again and again to rural landscapes. I find myself drawn to the scenery that I took for granted as a youth growing up on a farm in Northeast Iowa. Many of my oil and watercolor paintings are based on the midwest and my new favorite rural location; Southwestern Maine. My watercolor paintings are most often done on location whereas my oil paintings are completed in my studio in Milton, Massachusetts from watercolor studies and photographs.

My paintings have sold to numerous collectors throughout the United States and Europe. I have been commissioned to paint family portraits, pet portraits, and house portraits as well as abstract paintings to match interior design colors. I have also created murals and painted furniture for designer showcase homes and private residences.