Elaine Sugar was raised during the post war years in the East End of London (England). This was a poor and shabby area, covered in bombsites and the few trees and flowering shrubs were behind ugly fences. Elaine was a sensitive, day dreaming child who used art as an escape from her depressing surroundings. She took classes at the famous Whitechapel Art Gallery, where, at the age eight she was able to experiment with various mediums.

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Elaine dreamed of being an artist when she “grew up,” however, she didn’t wait to ‘grow up.' At the age of twelve she exhibited at London’s Outdoor Art Exhibition on the Thames Embankment. There, she not only sold a number of works, she also received her first commission.

Elaine attended teacher’s college for three years where she majored in visual arts. When she married she came to Canada. Throughout her teaching career and the years raising her two children, Elaine continued to paint, exhibit and further her art studies.

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Elaine is still a dreamer but she now finds her surrounding inspiring. Her subject matter is often realistically depicted but the composition is often unrealistic or somewhat surrealistic. She loves decoration and pays great attention to detail. Her mediums are gouache, watercolour, acrylic, collage and coloured pencil. Her commissions have included a number of murals, artwork for ladies fashions and jewellery design.

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Elaine is a signature member of the Toronto Watercolour Society, the Willowdale Group of Artists and the North York Visual Artists. She regularly participates in their juried and non juried shows. She is the recipient of many awards including ‘Best of the Show’ in the North York Visual Artists 2005 spring show. Elaine was chosen to participate in a number of McMichael Autumn Art Sales. She has had a two-person show at the Valhalla Inn and a one person show at the Variety Club. One of her paintings was featured in the Diet and Breast Cancer Prevention Study Calendar for the year 2000 and on their note cards. Her work has been exhibited in a number of galleries in the Toronto area and hangs in numerous private collections in England and North America.

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Elaine teaches adults basic drawing, design and watercolour.