Britt Elise: Artist

One of the most beautiful things about plants is the way that different species change throughout the seasons. Representing the full scope of these changes can be a challenge, but rewarding. Artist Britt Elise strives to do so, showcasing plants that are living and dying all in one piece. 

By using plants that are in different stages of their life cycles, Britt highlights the deep way that these cycles influence her own life. 

“Things aren't as linear and it invokes ideas of connection between the generations.”

Britt gets as in touch with nature as she can during her artistic process. She paints scenes outside, sitting in the grass among the very plants that she’s portraying. There is little planning in her paintings, as she often mixes her palette directly on the canvas and lets the images grow organically as she goes. 

Her connection with plants reaches every part of her life. When she was pregnant with her daughter, she was given a rosebush by a friend and ended up burying her placenta under the soil. Every year, those roses flourish, and Britt is reminded of how intertwined people and plants can truly be. 

“Growing and planting every year is a way to also put down our roots where we are and connect with where we are and continue our inner conversation of the world around us.”

A film by Joana Betzner.

Original score by Peter Henry Holbrook.