My name is Elsa Mora but you can call me Elsita. I am a full-time Artist who wants to do something good before I die. If my art doesn't have a big impact on the world (which, given the odds, is more likely to happen) at least I want my children to remember me as someone who was happy to spend some time on planet Earth.
I am 36 years old but I look like 35. I was always the shortest one in my class (5.2). I was born in Holguin, a province in the island of Cuba. I was raised by the free educational Cuban system and sometimes also by my family.
I left home when I was fifteen and then moved to Camaguey where I graduated from the Art School in 1990. Like everybody else there, along with our diploma we got the illusion of being famous artists. After a while I updated my expectations to being a good Artist and since about 7 years ago I decided that along with making things that express who I am and how I see the world, I also want to be a happy person. What the heck, life is too short.
My first job was as an Art Teacher for two years. I was only 19 and my students were from 12 to 13 years old. It was a great experience, but in the end I had to leave the job because I needed to put some focus on myself. I gave them everything I had then: all my time, support and understanding.
After this I worked at an art gallery for a year but since there was nothing useful for me to do over there I decided to become a full-time Artist. The transition was a hard one. I had two lives; one doing art at night and another one selling anything that I could make with my hands. Here I have to give credit to my Mom who sent me 10 pesos cubanos a month for support.
I moved to Havana in 1995 with the help of a friend to whom I own so much. Thank you forever Debra. In Havana I married the wrong man who did all the right things for my career but nothing for my soul. That’s OK. Special thanks to him too. And during that time I finally started developing my career as a “Real Artist”, whatever that means.
In 2001 just when I was finally getting divorced I met Bill my current husband (and hopefully the last one) in Havana. A short time after that I moved to Los Angeles, California where we now live with our two children and my stepson. My husband is from Chicago and he is a great guy. I love him very much and I hope that in 50 years I still do. I know that I am close to my 40’s, the age when women are supposed to start hating their husbands but I will be ready for it and I will try to focus my crisis on something else like the air pollution or something like that, don’t worry Billy.
From my studio in Los Angeles I keep working on creating my art. And I have been lucky enough to find interest in my work at galleries and museums around the world, and have been participating in solo and group shows every year.
My work is about human nature, about the way we are and the way we interact with each other, with ourselves and with the rest of the world. I enjoy working in different media like painting, ceramic, drawing, photography, installation and more recently I have been doing some illustration work.
This year (2007) I opened an online store on Etsy and oh boy, do I enjoy this? 100% because this is all my own little business, a mini planet Elsita where I am the President, the Assistant and the Post Office Girl. Through this business you can re-invent yourself. I highly recommend it.
That's it right now. All the rest about me will be found in the posts. Hasta la vista.
Elsita :)
you, me, and, everything, in, between
