Eli Halpin grew up in Alaska and now lives and paints full time in Austin Texas. Her focus is on animal face expressions while enjoying and celebrating their paws, cheeks, whiskers, claws, hooves, antlers, horns and tusks. Eli's paintings tell stories of living together, working together, eating together, the sacredness of food, friendship, family, sharing and the cycle of life and death. The painted scenes are infused with humor and romance while emphasizing the instinct, intuition and wisdom of nature. Eli paints on wooden surfaces made with maple, birch and masonite in addition to hand crafted stretched canvases. Eli uses thick oil paint and she loves to add acrylic, paper, metal leaf, spray paint, fabric, lace, ribbons, gemstones, sparkles, shells, crushed glass, beads, sand, mica, and pearls. Large brushes lay down super thick paint and her messy drippy style is bright and metallic.