Elena Caravela, a School of Visual Arts alumna, has exhibited widely and has garnered awards for her painting and portraiture. Examples include a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine 34th Annual Art Competition, NOAPS Online International Exhibitions, Allied Artist of America at Salmagundi Club, Placing in the Portrait Society of America

Member’s Competition, Finalist in Art Kudos International Competition, Awards at Ridgewood Art Institute, Women Painting Women juried exhibition, Principal Gallery, and a Solo Exhibition “Girls In Sight” at the Visual Arts Center of NJ.

Human beings captured in candid moments are at the heart of Elena Caravela’s work. She may concentrate on a particular concept driving a series of paintings, but fleeting human expression is always the underlying core of her paintings. Both Idiosyncratic and universally recognizable nuance of facial expression and body language is on display in frank and sometimes awkward recognition for the viewer. This conveyance of emotion is also demonstrated in Caravela’s Illustration work. It includes magazines such as 3x3 Magazine for Contemporary Illustration, award winning children’s picture books, and a non-fiction picture book about young female artists that she authored and illustrated.

Q&A

1- What is different from your art work than other artists working in contemporary realism?

My work is about the individual in the moment, the personality, or the concept. While always embracing realism, my color palette and or style serve to support the expansion of my subject or concept. These are the elements that drive my work. I’m not in the business of “pretty” for pretty’s sake. 

2.- How important is process versus the end result?

The process is almost everything. The absolute joy of making something out of a personal driving motivation. That said, when the result is disappointing, I have no qualms in painting over the work and starting over or starting something new.

 3.What is your ultimate goal when creating contemporary realism?

My goal is to do my best in bringing forth my subject or concept in search of their myriad mysteries. Peeling away a layer for others to see and feel and to connect with it in some way.

4 -What do you like best about your work?

It is of the moment. Often a fleeting aspect of an expression revealing part of a subject’s complex personality. The same process reveals a concept 

Very close to my heart.

5- What do you like least about your work?

The deficits in my technical skill in so far as my dream of always surpassing them.

6 -Why contemporary realism?

The ability to grab any viewer’s eye instantly, because the human brain cannot resist representations of truth in life.

7- Which are your greatest influences?

So many! The masters of old, of course. Many female artists whose names may not be recognizable. And tons of artists working today. I save images of particular works on my desktop. I refer to them over and over again to inspire me.

8- What is your background?

I’ve been thinking like an artist for as long as I can remember. Certainly feeling deep connections to all living things and a wonderment of the light and the dark. There was never any question that I wanted to BE an artist. Then a BFA at SVA at a time when conceptual art and abstraction won the day. Hence, illustration was the only form of realism that was sanctioned.  I illustrated and painted portraits. I love to teach young artists. I love to share the skills of drawing and painting, gifting anyone the power of expression and creativity.

9- Name three artists you'd like to be compared to in history books.

If ever, Velaquez, Goya and one of my students.

10. Which is your favorite contemporary realism artwork today?

For today, “Void” by Amaya Gurpide