Welcome to TheAccidentalArtist.com!

I’m Elissa from Austin, Texas, and I’ve been painting, drawing, sculpting and creating since I picked up my first crayon. Making art has always been a passion of mine, whether that art be a large-scale oil painting or a simple art doll.

This Web site is dedicated to all those struggling artists out there who just need a place to share ideas. I know what it’s like being in a creative rut, and I hope The Accidental Artist can be a source of inspiration and community.

I won’t say that I suffered greatly to become an artist, but I did face a few obstacles. I grew up in a relatively left-brained family, full of engineers, businessmen and politicians. Don’t get me wrong, the creative gene was there – but it was a while before I was taken seriously as someone who wanted to make art for a living.

Also, the middle and high schools in my conservative hometown left much to be desired in the art curriculum. I lived in a cliché, where cheerleaders and football players got away with murder, the college and career counselors laughed at my plans for the future, and the advanced art class was stowed away conveniently in an abandoned science lab. Through it all, I survived. Oh, the atrocities!

In any case, it could be seen as an accident that I remained as passionate about art through the years as when I was a little girl. Hence, The Accidental Artist! Clever, isn’t it?

I often wished I had more exposure to others who shared my passions. This Web site is specially designed to offer helpful resources, dialogue, questions and advice for artists, both advanced and amateur. Whether you’ve been formally trained as a fine artist or simply love making crafts, The Accidental Artist is a place where all things creative are open for discussion.

Learn new techniques, listen to the stories of successful artists, and get inspired for a new project, all right here at TheAccidentalArtist.com!