Photograph of Elise Tomlinson

I was born in O'Neill, Nebraska where I lived until I graduated from High School and moved to Alaska. I earned a BFA at the University of Alaska Anchorage in printmaking with a secondary emphasis in oil painting.

I later received an MLIS from the University of Hawaii Mānoa, and an MPA from the University of Alaska Southeast, where I currently work as the Library dean. I live on Douglas Island and have a studio/gallery in Downtown Juneau, Alaska.

Here is a link to my official Artist’s Resume.

For additional fun facts about me, check out my “100 Fun Facts”. Or explore my Life in Alaska page or read my artist blog.

Artist Statement

In kindergarten, one of my drawings won a blue ribbon…painting became all I wanted to do.

Studio organization

Later I explored themes like technology, body image, gender roles, and began incorporating text into imagery.

Studio workspace

However, the pace of life on the East Coast wasn’t for me—I was called north to the wilds of Alaska...

Studio drawing table

After college I worked with pottery and sculpture, but oil painting—and narrative human figures—eventually returned to my practice.

Works in progress

I once found the smell of oil paint in Venice and sat with a painter in an alley—I knew I was home.

Elise in studio, 2006

In Southeast Alaska, color speaks louder against the moody backdrop of the Tongass and perpetual gray skies. My work layers figures into abstracted natural landscapes, inviting personal narrative and respite through beauty.