In concert with their new exhibition, On Location in the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore, the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore will host several artist demonstrations and lectures during the run of their show. And the painting created at each demonstration will be raffled off to one very lucky member of the audience! Admission to all of the demonstrations is free.

First up on Thursday, July 25 at 2:00pm is artist Elena Roche. Born in Lithuania and raised in the Russian part of the Soviet Union, Roche graduated from Moscow College of Art and Design in 1997 with a degree in Fashion and Embroidery Design. Her rigorous education included academic drawing and painting of subjects ranging from still life, portrait and figure to plein air landscape, flowers and animals. After graduation, Elena immigrated to the U.S. She and her husband Warren raised and home-schooled five children in their Topanga home. At the same time, Elena painted en plein air in her garden and on location in the Santa Monica Mountains. Now that her children are grown, Elena is dedicating more time to teaching and painting plein air throughout Southern California.

HEADER IMAGE: "Good Morning Sea Cliffs" by Elena Roche, oil. Available for purchase.