Elena began her journey as an artist at an early age, and was privileged to be apprenticed to Pat Witt at the Barn Studio of Art. There she learned a love of painting and drawing, and was exposed to the teaching of many great artists and instructors from The Philadelphia Museum School and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Elena attended workshops with the instructors from the Academy and assisted Pat Witt in teaching at the Barn Studio and The Museum School throughout her ten year apprenticeship. Immersion in intensive classical training at the Barn Studio, and exposure to artists of varied styles and methods, developed her teaching ability and an acute awareness of her need to emulate and to pass on to her students the knowledge of these gifted artists. Pivotal to her artistic development were the workshops Elena attended with Henry Hensche, at the Cape School of Art and at the Barn Studio. Hensche's teaching solidified her color sense and an Impressionist eye for light. She went on to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with a concentration in painting and drawing.