Elise Rugolo is a mixed-media painter who celebrates the physicality of her artwork through an exploration of various media and layering of imagery. Her paintings are abstract, with references to natural and man-made structures. Her use of pattern and rhythm, as well as a calligraphic style of mark making and brushstrokes, is suggestive of dance or motion borne out of a sense of urgency. She often combines both geometric and organic forms in a painting. She does not shy away from color, and generally favors a vivid and expressive palette.

Her father, professor emeritus at University of Missouri, was an early influence in her creative development. A printmaker, he sometimes cut up his extra silkscreen prints and refigured them into collaged pieces–a process that has been engrained in her own work, as she often includes collage elements within her compositions. In some of her recent encaustic paintings, the collage elements are so deeply embedded in the wax that they lose their original identity, adding an elusive, mysterious quality to the image.

Elise has an MFA in painting and drawing from Arizona State University and received her BFA in painting from the University of Iowa. In keeping with her love of motion, she has lived all over the USA, and has recently returned to her hometown of Columbia, Missouri. Her work has been in numerous juried and invitational shows. She offers workshops and private classes in mixed media and the encaustic technique.