Today we’d like to introduce you to Elise Esquivel.
Hi Elise, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am an Oak Cliff-based artist who has had the opportunity to learn various mediums and techniques from a very young age. I’ve always loved making things and being outdoors. I spent a few years living in Fort Worth but have recently moved back to Dallas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am a bipolar artist who wasn’t diagnosed until I was 24, when I had my first manic episode, and my life was completely uprooted. Up until then, I was subconsciously drawn to creating art to help me get centered and process the continual emotional roller coaster that comes with Bipolar.
After my manic episode, my life was completely upside down, and I felt like I had lost my creative spark. It was when I was homeless and staying at a Motel 6 that I got reunited with my creative side by creating abstract paper sculptures using only black ink and no cutting tools. Doing this helped me think outside the box and reaffirmed to me I could still create. I found my home again in my art-making, even while I was homeless.
Fast forward to another health crisis a few years later, I found myself unmoored again and lost, which led to an acute depressed episode. I had seen an art challenge created by Eva Ryan called “Cutober” and was so inspired by the art I saw that I got back to creating. Not only did the challenge give me motivation to stay out of bed, I was also making connections with all sorts of amazing paper artists from around the world.
This art challenge sparked a whole new chapter in my creative endeavors, transitioning from black and white abstract style to paper illustrations of animals and nature. Whenever I’m at an art market or at a gallery, I love seeing the reactions on people’s faces as they take in the colors and textures.
I’ve been through a lot in just a decade, having life fall apart a few times. Every time, I’ve always come back home in art.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in collage style using paper and mixed media. I make very detail rich and colorful illustrations of primarily animals. My Texas Endangered Species has been exhibited in Hurst, Fort Worth, and Dallas. I am also known for my colorful Day of the Dead Dinosaurs illustrations. I’m really proud of my work because it ties so many things I love together like saturated colors, visual textures, and nature. All of these elements combine in a way that elicits joy and curiosity.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success is when making art for myself and sparking joy in others intersect!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elliemaesquirrel.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/elliemaesquirrel_?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliemaesquirrel?mibextid=JRoKGi
