Sometimes I like to paint flowers and butterflies.

I did a series of these butterflies. Watercolor seems to suit their extreme fragility, and their beauty. They were really fun to paint, I love the colors. Hope you like them. Available for purchase.
http://www.ebay.com/usr/oil_watercolor_paintings_by_elena

The beautiful giant silk moth butterfly called Cecropia Moth, Hyalaphora cecropia - one of the largest butterflies or moths in the world

Are you looking for the perfect gift? Original watercolor painting is the perfect gift for:a friend or family member who has everything;a new client you want to impress or work colleague;someone that you wish to shower with surprise gifts throughout the year; grandmothers, aunties, moms, sisters and cousins who won’t advise you on what they want for their birthday; creative types; just because…

Available for purchase.
http://www.ebay.com/usr/oil_watercolor_paintings_by_elena

The Crowned Hairstreak .

I enjoy painting butterflies.. A cute and very unique gift, gift for butterfly lovers, watercolor home decor.
The Crowned Hairstreak . Amazing and rare blue Evenus coronata (Female) butterfly - with delicate swallow-tails and bright-red patches.
The paper used for my watercolors paintings is Arches 140 lb. 100% cotton.11"x 14 ". Available for purchase.
‪#‎painting‬ ‪#‎butterflies‬ ‪#‎watercolors‬

Still Life. Rose Bouquet .

Original Oil Painting palette knife.18"x24". Available for purchase.
The sides are painted brown so it can be hung without a frame for a contemporary look.

Pink roses still life . Available for purchase.

Palette knife painting 16" x 20"
The sides are painted brown so it can be hung without a frame for a contemporary look. 

 

Red roses still life Palette knife painting 16" x 20"

My latest oil painting I just finished this morning. 
The sides are painted brown so it can be hung without a frame for a contemporary look. Available for purchase.

P.S. Some close-ups of the knife work.

Seashell Hearts.Made with love.

• If you’re planning a beach trip this summer, be sure to bring back a bucket of shells so you can try your hands at one of these gorgeous seashell crafts. :)
• Materials: Natural Seashells, Wood, Beads

This beautiful seashell heart truly brings the coast to the home.

Yosemite National Park, California. Everyone should come to this place at least once in their life. There is really nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.

This was my first trip to Yosemite and can say I was in awe of it's beauty from the valley floor to it's highest peaks and giant trees.

I was blown away with the place, it is so beautiful, every turn there is another breathtaking view. It really is one of those places that can not truly be captured by words or photos.
You have to be there to truly understand how amazing it really is.

The pass at elevation 9945 feet. Tioga Pass is the greatest road I've ever driven on...and I'm glad I did it!

This scenic drive through forests and past meadows, lakes, and granite domes is very exciting and sometimes very exposed and unsecured driveway in innumerable twists and turns. On the summit of the road there’s the Tioga Pass, at an elevation of 9,943 ft. (3,031 m.) above the sea level. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass.

The surface of the road is asphalted, and chains or snow tyres can be required throughout the year. TiogaPass is named after Tioga Mine, whose name originated in New York: "Tioga" is named for an Iroquois and Mohawk term meaning "where it forks". The road was built in 1882-1883 as a mining road and was realigned and modernized in 1961. 

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe 05.20.2016

Emerald Bay is definitely one of the most beautiful places at Lake Tahoe.
We stopped at an overlook over Emerald Bay and were taken aback by the beautiful views. We enjoyed walking around the park and the lake area even it's a bit cold that day but it was a beautiful day.
Vikingsholm Castle is also nearby but we didn't get a chance to go this time around.

Emerald Bay- Topaz Lake- Tioga Road

San Francisco, California, United States 2016

This is our first time here. Pier 39 is a fun, touristy locale - snacks, candy, touristy stuff to gawk at and buy. The little carousel is charming. Great food. From late summer to late spring (mid May), there are typically hundreds of sea lions.

 California sea lions have chosen to haul out at PIER 39’s K-Dock because there’s plenty of food nearby in the bay and ocean, their natural predators (white sharks and orcas) do not typically feed in the bay and there is plenty of space. Also, the docks are easier to haul out on, more comfortable and more protected from storms than a rocky beach.

Pacific Coast Highway - Route 1.This trip was something I have wanted to do for quite some time.

I can't say enough about this truly amazing drive and scenery. This was my first trip to CA and the Pacific Coast Highway has been on my list for many years. I'm so glad I finally got to see it. We took it slow and kept stopping to view the scenery and take pictures. It was absolutely amazing. You are driving right along the ocean with the most amazing views - the ocean, the cliffs, crashing waves, flowers - it was great. The road is so narrow and winding in places that the speed limit has to drop to 25mph and even this feels fast on some of the turns. It was really beautiful. I was barely able to drive1 mile straight through without stopping. 

 A truly beautiful part of the world that everyone should experience!

Yes, I would do it again and we can't wait to go back and spend more time.Don't miss out on this adventure. You'll never forget it.

Moreton Bay Fig Tree.Historical landmark in Santa Barbara, California

Ragged Point Inn & Resort

We found Ragged Point by accident. Ragged Point Inn is a lodge situated on cliffs to the south of Big Sur, with lovely views of the Pacific and a calm and isolated feel.
The view was so beautiful I can't put it in words. Enjoyed everything about it.
Clean, quiet and awesome ocean views. Excellent restaurant.

Friends Of The Elephant Seal

What a wonderful surprise to find this on our coastal highway trip! Awesome to see the elephant seals in their natural habitat. It was really cool seeing them swim from the water and then flop around on the shore. Plenty of photo opportunities at close proximity.

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery- Military Cemetery in San Diego, California

This is a very peaceful spot. A true place of respect with a majestic view. Exceptionally well-kept grounds and beautiful views.  

One side of the hill faces the bay and San Diego and the other side faces the Pacific. Spend some time on your way to the Cabrillo Monument to walk around here and soak in the beauty, peacefulness, and honor of those resting here. Even if you don't know anyone buried here, it is an important place to visit and pay respects to those who have fought and died for us. 

Thank you to all those who gave their life for our freedom.

God bless America!!

Sun Buggy. Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve.We have made so many wonderful memories in the Pismo Dunes.

This is something I've always wanted to do! It's really exciting and thrilling!  We had fun going down the faces of these huge walls of sand... super scary but we did it! My husband had an amazing time and he said he would love to do it again.We would definitely return to sun buggy if we choose to go to the sand dunes again.

Santa Barbara Wine Tour with Picnic Lunch

https://goo.gl/maps/kWrSgLM83Aq

WELCOME TO SANTA BARBARA

State Street.

It is a fun street to walk up and down.

Lovely wide clean sandy beach with fairly cold sea water.