About Me

A short bio about Elaine Lee's life as an artist. (Aside from her artistic pursuits, she is also a plant enthusiast 🌱, passionate food plater 🍳, avid animal stalker 🐈🐩, and a Jesus lover 💕.)

Elaine's love for drawing dates back to her childhood when she was just a wee little child. Her kindergarten teacher complimented her on her renditions of Sailor Moon and from then on she decided she would be an artist. But as she grew up she was advised to pursue a more practical career so she ultimately chose another artistic degree and set aside illustration.

Fast forward, Elaine graduated from college and she worked for a few years in design. During this time, she discovered the purpose of her human life through her relationship with the Lord Jesus and fell deeply in love with Him. This led her to leave her career to attend Bible school with the goal of strengthening her relationship with the Lord.

In 2018, Elaine finished her wonderful time at Bible school and found herself in need of reintegrating into the real world. She returned to NYC with just a small suitcase of clothes. She was unsure of her next steps but she knew was learning to be led by faith. Still, it was a very confusing transitional period, feeling lost and with a surplus of free time, her brother encouraged her to share her artwork online. He also lent her some money to purchase a pen and a Moleskine journal... then Voilà! Her journey of bullet journaling and sharing her art as Leeniale on Instagram began:

(My very first instagram post back in August of 2018!)

Leeniale was a pseudonym that includes Elaine written backwards, this handle was just as confused as Elaine was in 2018. (In 2023, she renamed it DearElaineco so people can actually find her now.)

Since sharing her artwork online, Elaine has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from the journaling community. She rediscovered her passion for painting and drawing and now runs a small business with patrons from all over the world! She is deeply grateful to everyone who appreciates her work and to the Lord for the chance to share her life and artistic journey with others.

She also works as a freelance illustrator and textile designer now. But on her spare time, she is hustling to bring her vision to life at Dear Elaine co. Elaine is excited to continue sharing her work with you, whether it's through her journals and illustrations or through the art classes she's hoping to offer soon.

You can catch a glimpse of her art on Instagram, but she'd love to connect with you directly. Sign up for her mailing list to be among the first to know about her exciting future developments and creative perks just for you!