Jeff Elrod is flipping the script on American Abstraction with a slick blend of digital tech and hands-on creativity. His process? Think pure ingenuity meets minimalism.
Elrod keeps it old-school with basic software, drawing every detail with a mouse. Yep, you heard that right—no high-tech tools, just raw digital vibes.
Once his digital creations are ready to roll, he levels up by transferring them onto canvas, mixing digital painting with techniques like spraying and brushing. The result? Layers of bold, trippy energy that feel like stepping straight into “screen space”—that digital playground we’re all living in. Elrod’s work bridges the gap between the timeless tradition of painting and our screen-obsessed reality.
Take his Untitled (White Linen), featured in the Breathing. Room exhibition at The Lobby. It’s a killer example of how Elrod uses white space and empty areas to balance out the intensity of his full-on compositions, giving the painting its own space to breathe. Elrod’s work isn’t just art—it’s a fresh perspective on how we see and live in a digital world.
Check out his exhibit, along with many others, in The Lobby at the Ellen Browning Building (2871 SE Division Street, Portland). On February 1, Kids Day is happening! Our free event is not just about studying art history; it’s about empowering your child to become a budding artist themselves. In our class, your child will learn a cool technique called neurographic drawing. It’s all about experimenting with shapes and lines to create a unique work of art that’s not only beautiful to look at but encourages the mind to think outside the box. Think of it as turning lines into your child’s own secret language of creativity.
Sima is the curator of The Lobby – https://ellenbrowningbuilding.com/the-lobby/