Artist: Elaine Balsley

I love painting everything including florals, still life, animals, portraits, landscapes, classic aircraft, and contemporary. I use many different mediums — Acrylic, pastel, graphite, colored pencil, and watercolor, with acrylic being my favorite. Composition is important. I strive to capture color, texture, shadow and light in my work. I inherited my love of art from my mother who had a natural gift. I fortified my knowledge with several art workshops over the years, and have studied under Ron Lee, a professional illustrator and fine artist who taught at the Wind Art Gallery, Centerville (Dayton), Ohio. I’m particularly inspired by the Impressionists, especially Monet, Degas, and Cassatt. They painted with feeling and expression . . something I strive for in my work – I love to paint!

My new gallery, Elaine Balsley - Fine Art, just opened April 1, 2010 in Dayton's Historic Oregon District at 523 Fifth Street, Dayton, OH 45402. Normal gallery hours are Wed, Thurs, Sat: Noon - 5:00 PM and Fri: 3:00-8:00 PM. First Friday Open House (the first Friday of each month) hours are from 3:00 - 10:00 PM. Gallery Phone is 937-222-2680.

I am a member of the Dayton Visual Arts Centrer (DVAC), the National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (Osage Beach, MO), and the Brush & Palette Art Guild (Hillsboro, OH) - not to mention the Worthington Area Art League! A published artist, my work has been included in North Light Publishing’s book, Painter’s Quick Reference: Cats & Dogs.

One of my paintings has been accepted by the Air Force Art Program, a Pentagon-sponsored program which has accumulated almost 10,000 pieces of art donated by artists all across the United States. The program began in 1950 to record the history of the Air Force through art. I am now an "approve Air Force artist"! To view my painting donation, go to the AF Art Collection link below, and click on "Artists", then "B" to search on my last name (Balsley).

Visit my website, www.orchardviewstudio.com.

Other sites include —

The Brush & Palette Art Guild: http://brushandpaletteartguild.yolasite.com

The Air Force Art Collection: http://www.afapo.hq.af.mil/Presentation/main/Index.cfm

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000449284164:/

Expressive Art . . . in Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel, Colored Pencil & More!