Meet Elise Degarmo | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elise Degarmo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elise, what principle do you value most?
I’ve learned not to let ideas sit in my head—I need to make them real through sketching or writing. In a college critique, I once saw a classmate accuse another of “stealing her idea.” The truth? She had never shared her concept with anyone—not even by putting it on paper. My teacher described ideas as clouds: if you don’t nurture them, they dissipate, floating until they find their rightful owner.

I also believe in keeping ideas private until they’re ready for the world. They need time to grow within you, and sharing them too soon can introduce doubt that cracks their foundation. So, I hold my ideas close—because once they’re out, they no longer belong to me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Growing up, art was always encouraged by my parents. It felt inevitable that this would be my path. A few years ago, I paused to wonder: Was I an artist because my family said so, or was it truly mine? The answer became clear every time I created—nothing gives me the same rush. Art pulls me into a tunnel where time stops.

Creativity has always been my release. While I primarily describe myself as an illustrator—both in fine art and commercially—I explore everything: foundry work, felting, painting, ceramics, and beyond. Experimentation fuels me, and I find catharsis in the process of making.

After earning my BFA in Communication Arts from VCU in 2018, I studied at the Illustration Academy in Kansas City. Months later, I moved to New York for an artist residency. Merging my love for art and travel, I planned artist residencies across Africa, including Morocco, Kenya, and Madagascar. In 2019, on the first leg of my journey, I met my now-husband during my time in Morocco. COVID-19 disrupted my plans to continue to Kenya in March 2020, and instead, I ended up living in Morocco full-time for four years.

While art isn’t my full-time career yet, it has always been a constant. I work in marketing—sometimes creatively, sometimes not—but art tends to find its way in. No matter what I’m doing, the urge to create never fades.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In Virginia, fall is my favorite time of year. There’s nothing like driving down Skyline Drive, winding through the mountains of Shenandoah National Park as the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold. I’d take visitors apple picking, indulge in fresh cider donuts, and rent a cozy cabin overlooking the mountains—just to soak in the beauty of the season.

I also love spending time at the Chesapeake Bay. One of my uncles had a bay house, and I grew up sitting on the dock for hours, watching the wonders of the bay unfold. The murky water holds its mysteries—I’ve spotted dolphins, skates, and horseshoe crabs, while bald eagles soared overhead. One of my most memorable stays was at Osprey Point, a historic inn with a nostalgic charm. I was there on a chilly, rainy summer weekend, and the atmosphere felt cinematic—mist rolling over the water, the soft patter of rain against the windows, and the stillness of the bay. There’s something special about visiting an old Chesapeake Bay town, where time seems to stand still.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to credit my grandmother, Memere, for shaping my creative journey. She was not your average grandmother. Visits to her place meant diving into some crazy art project. Time with Memere involved crushing glass and using blowtorches to create enamels. She taught my sister and me how to melt metal and make our own jewelry. As a college professor of the arts, she expected greatness from her grandchildren—exposing us to mixed media was just one of the many ways she did this.

She was my biggest supporter in all my artistic pursuits (even if it meant creating messes in her apartment that would take weeks to clean up). In college, she wrote me letters weekly, sharing knowledge about new art techniques and artists she had recently discovered. She often included newspaper and magazine clippings of artwork that inspired her. She wanted me to push my creative limits and never be afraid to experiment.

Memere’s passion and skill in the arts is something I have always idolized. Staying true to herself until the very end, our last conversation was about her desire to channel all her pain into a painting. Though her hands were immobile, her mind still craved an outlet to express her feelings. If you ever had the chance to see her art in person, you would know you were looking at the work of a master.

Website: https://eliseillustrates.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisedegarmo/

Image Credits
Elise DeGarmo