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MY JOURNEY
Welcome — I'm Elia Lopez
For 64 years, I cared for others as a nurse — offering comfort, compassion, and healing. I've spent my life encouraging women to find their voice and confidence, even founding the Ms. South Texas Senior Pageant to help women over 60 step back into the spotlight.
At the age of 77 during very trying times, my husband encouraged me to paint after being diagnosed with cancer and during the height of COVID 19 pandemic on 2020. So at that time I picked up a paintbrush and began to express my journey through color and texture. Soon after, I gathered my reflections into poetry — words that speak to love, faith, resilience, and hope.
My Journey
"Creativity has no age limit. Life is about using every gift we've been given — at every stage of the journey."
Elia Lopez has never been one to stand still. For most of her 82 years, her life has been a beautiful tapestry woven with threads of care, resilience, and faith. Her journey began as a calling to serve — one that led her to a 64-year career as a nurse, a role that would define nearly six decades of her life.
In hospitals, clinics, and homes, she brought more than medicine; she brought comfort, kindness, and dignity to those in their most vulnerable moments. Nursing was not just a profession for Elia — it was an act of love, a way to give herself to others.
Championing Women & Redefining Aging
Elia saw something in the women around her — a quiet strength, a spark, too often dimmed by the weight of age or expectation. She believed in lifting them up, helping them see themselves the way she saw them: beautiful, capable, and worthy of celebration at any age.
This belief led her to create one of her most transformative projects: the Ms. South Texas Senior Pageant. "Taking women from their rocking chair to the stage," she would say, smiling knowingly. But this pageant was never about crowns or competition. It was about giving women over 60 a platform to shine, to rediscover their confidence, their voice, and their place in the world.
For many participants, it became a life-changing experience — a chance to step into the spotlight, often for the first time in decades, and be seen not for their age, but for their spirit. Through this work, Elia became more than an advocate. She became a mentor, a cheerleader, and a symbol of what it means to embrace every chapter of life with grace and boldness.
SPOTLIGHT AND A STROLL INTO MEMORY LANE
Each piece tells a story, a moment, or an emotion from my rich life experience, inviting you to reflect on your own journey.
A New Canvas at 80+
After a lifetime of service and advocacy, many would have slowed down. But not Elia. At 77 decided to reinvent herself again — this time as an artist.
"I needed a new way to express the emotions, memories, and dreams that lived inside me."
With brush in hand, she found a new kind of freedom. Her paintings are vibrant and layered, alive with color and texture — an extension of her soul poured onto canvas. Each one is deeply personal, shaped by the joys, sorrows, and lessons of a life richly lived.
Her work doesn't just hang on walls; it speaks. It tells stories of resilience, healing, and hope. It invites the viewer to feel, to reflect, and perhaps, to see a piece of their own journey within hers.
My Life In Moments
1940s-1960s | A Childhood of Faith & Resilience
"I was born and raised in South Texas, where faith, family, and a close-knit community shaped my life."
1960s-2024s | A Life in Nursing
"For 64 years, I served as a nurse — caring for patients with compassion and skill. Nursing was an act of love."
2013s-2024s | Championing Women & Redefining Aging
"I founded the Ms. South Texas Senior Pageant — helping women over 60 rediscover their confidence."
2020-Present | An Artist Emerges
"At 77, I began painting — expressing my memories, dreams, and emotions through color and texture."
2025 | The Poet's Pen
"I published my first poetry collection, gathering my reflections on love, resilience, and living fully."
Today | A Legacy Still Unfolding
"At 82, I continue to paint, write, and give — leaving behind a legacy of service, creativity, and hope."
My Collection: A Journey in Color
Step into my art gallery, where each painting tells a deeply personal story of faith, resilience, and the enduring beauty found in every stage of life. Every piece is a reflection of my journey, brought to life on canvas with vibrant colors and rich textures. I hope these creations inspire you and resonate with your own experiences.
Rainbow Striped Hearts
This mixed media painting features two prominent rainbow-striped hearts, set against a background of swirling, colorful abstract patterns. It's a vibrant expression of joy and connection.
Size: 5"x7"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-001
Price: $150.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Bold Swirling Abstract
Dynamic swirling shapes in vibrant blues, reds, and yellows are boldly outlined in black, creating a playful and energetic abstract composition that commands attention.
Size: 16"x20"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-002
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Ornate Framed Cosmic Circle
A textured circular mixed media piece shimmers with luminous turquoise, white, and golden tones, set against a deep black backdrop and framed by an ornate vintage design. This artwork evokes a sense of cosmic beauty.
Size: 14"x16"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-003
Price: $375.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
The Matador's Dance
This dynamic acrylic painting captures a dramatic bullfighting scene, where a matador in green bravely confronts a powerful black bull, rendered with bold strokes and vivid colors that convey intense movement.
Size: 16"x20"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-004
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Fiery Abstract Explosion
An abstract acrylic painting bursting with fiery reds, deep blues, and bright yellows, creating a dynamic explosion of color and energy on the canvas.
Size: 18"x22"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-005
Price: $525.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Abstract Pastel Landscape
An ethereal abstract landscape, featuring soft, harmonious pastel tones that seamlessly merge into flowing, dreamlike shapes.
Size: 18"x20"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-006
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Fiesta de Colores
A vivid and energetic composition where red, green, blue, and white collide in rhythmic strokes. The textured layering of colors gives a sense of movement and joy, reminiscent of a lively celebration. This artwork brings warmth and vibrancy to any space, making it an uplifting centerpiece.
Size: 16"x20"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-007
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
The Guardian Angel in Blue
An evocative composition where deep blues dominate, creating a sense of serene watchfulness. The textured brushwork adds depth, giving the guardian figure a quiet strength and presence.
Size: 12"x16"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-008
Price: $350.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
The Blossoms in Motion
A dynamic acrylic landscape painting capturing vibrant blossoms in fluid motion, with rich textures and bold strokes that perfectly convey the lively essence of a flourishing garden.
Size: 11"x14"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-009
Price: $300.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Textured Ocean Waves
Rich blues and whites capture the vastness and power of the ocean in this textured acrylic on canvas, with palpable, abstract waves appearing to ripple directly from the artwork.
Size: 14"x18"
Type/Medium: Abstract
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-010
Price: $400.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Sunday's Best
This portrait highlights a young girl in a vibrant dress, framed against a neutral marbled background. With soft features and a poised stance, she embodies youth, dignity, and quiet beauty. Painted later in life, the work captures a sense of nostalgia, reflecting on memories of innocence, femininity, and grace across generations.
Size: 8"x10"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-011
PRICE: $225.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
The Golden Flight
Metallic acrylics and deep space blues swirl together on a wood panel, creating a mesmerizing abstract cosmic scene reminiscent of distant galaxies and nebulae, inviting viewers to ponder the universe.
Size: 14"x18"
Type/Mediium: Mixed mediums 18K Gold Paint
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-012
Price: $400.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Harmony In Motion
This vibrant composition bursts with energy, blending rich reds, cool blues, lively greens, and radiant yellows into a tapestry of color. The overlapping organic shapes create a rhythm that feels alive, almost as though the colors themselves are dancing across the canvas. The textured surface adds depth, giving each shape its own distinct personality while still flowing together as a whole.
Size: 16"x20"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-013
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Guardian of the Heart
A serene angel dressed in a flowing floral gown, adorned with delicate peach tones. With radiant pink wings and a glowing golden halo, the angel cradles a small red heart — a symbol of love, hope, and divine protection. Set against a calming blue backdrop, this painting carries a powerful message of faith and comfort.
Size: 12×12"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-014
Price: $300.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Wings of Bloom
A delicate butterfly unfolds into a symphony of blossoms, merging nature's grace with the vibrancy of spring. With one wing painted in earthy tones of orange and brown, and the other blooming into soft florals of yellow, coral, and peach, this piece symbolizes transformation and harmony. The bright turquoise background makes the colors come alive, radiating hope and renewal.
Size: 10"x12"
Type/Medium: Oil on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-015
Price: $300.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Midnight Motion
This striking black-and-white abstract captures the energy and rhythm of movement through bold strokes, swirling textures, and layered splashes of light against darkness. The piece reflects both spontaneity and control, where each mark feels like a dance across the canvas. The interplay of shadow and illumination suggests motion, resilience, and the beauty of expression at every stage of life.
Size: 18"x24"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-016
Price: $575.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Mystic Cat
A striking black cat perches elegantly against a deep, fiery red background. Its glowing yellow eyes capture mystery and curiosity, symbolizing wisdom, independence, and protection. The bold contrast of red and black makes this piece both dramatic and captivating, perfect for cat lovers and art enthusiasts alike.
Size: 8"x20"
Type/Medium: Abstract
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-017
Price: $350.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Garden of Colors
A vibrant abstract composition bursting with life and motion. Swirls of blue, green, yellow, pink, and white blend together in joyful harmony, reminiscent of a blooming garden after a refreshing rain. This framed artwork brings energy, creativity, and a touch of whimsy to any space.
Size: 11"x14"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-018
SOLD
Dancing Branches of Color
This vibrant painting bursts with energy, as bold strokes weave together like intertwining branches in a forest alive with light. Shades of blue, green, orange, yellow, and red stretch across the canvas, layered in rhythmic movement, creating a mesmerizing depth that invites the viewer to look closer.
Size: 16"x20"
Type/Medium: Abstract
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-019
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Energy in Motion
With bold strokes of yellow, green, red, and white layered over a golden background, this painting captures the joy of movement and freedom. Each swirl and splash reflects not only artistic expression but also the enduring energy and wisdom of a woman who continues to create with passion and courage.
Size: 16"x20"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-020
Price: $500.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Girl with Butterfly and Yellow Blossoms
A whimsical portrait of a young girl in a crimson dress holding bright yellow flowers. Her large, soulful eyes draw the viewer into a serene moment surrounded by tall blossoms and the delicate presence of a butterfly. Painted on a soft gray background, this piece reflects innocence, wonder, and the quiet beauty of nature.
Size: 11"×14"
Type/Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Signed by Artist: Elia Lopez
Product Number: 2025-021
Price: $270.00 +Taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
The Poet's Pen
"Reflections: Poetry for the Journey"
My words are an extension of my art — another way to share my heart, my journey, and my hope with the world. After eight decades of living, loving, and learning, I've gathered my reflections into this collection of poems that speak to faith, resilience, and finding beauty in every season of life.
"Time leaves its mark upon my hands
But cannot touch the soul that stands
Renewed each morning by His grace
As I continue life's sweet race."
$20.00 + taxes
Includes Shipping and Handling
Poetry Excerpt
"Memories"
The best room in the house for me as a child,
A room that made my heart go wild
The clanking of cast-iron pots and pans
Mom is cooking and singing along with the radio
The Spanish songs she loved and sang
The wonderful aroma of freshly made beans
That would complement our tasty meals by all means
We were seven children, you know
Five girls and two boys to show
She started her chores so early
Getting us ready for school
Making sure we had bathed and washed behind our ears
Each one of us in a row to brush our teeth and comb our hair
And mom made sure -we all had clean underwear
Washing, cleaning, cooking, and ironing
A daily routine for her for so many years
But I never saw her frown
One by one, her children came of age to seek careers
Mom blessed each one of us with joyful tears
Then came the day when we all left, and this created an empty nest
As for Mom, she deserved this time to rest
This poem reflects my belief that it's never too late to discover new talents, pursue new passions, or reinvent yourself. Age is just a number — creativity knows no bounds.
My Legacy
Founding the Ms. South Texas Senior Pageant
Creating a platform for women over 60 to celebrate their beauty, wisdom, and confidence. This pageant has helped hundreds of women rediscover their voice and purpose.
Art Donations
Contributing paintings to literacy programs, hospice facilities, bereavement centers, and animal rescues. Art brings comfort and beauty to spaces where healing is needed most.
Mentorship
Guiding younger nurses, artists, and community leaders. Sharing wisdom gained through decades of service and creative expression with the next generation.
"I want my work — my art, my words, my life — to remind others that it's never too late to grow, give, and dream."
Community Impact

To date, Elia's work has raised over $25,000 for community organizations and brought art into the lives of countless individuals facing difficult circumstances.
Beyond creating art, I believe in using it to make a difference. My paintings hang in children's hospitals, bereavement centers, hospice facilities, and animal shelters — bringing color, comfort, and hope to spaces where they're needed most.
A portion of all art sales is donated to organizations supporting literacy programs and senior wellness initiatives in South Texas. When you purchase a piece, you're not just bringing art into your home — you're helping extend its impact to those who need it most.
Inspiring Others
At 82, I refuse to let age define me. Instead, I define it — living proof that it's never too late to grow, to give, to create, and to dream. My life is a canvas still being painted, a poem still being written, a legacy still unfolding.
"When I stand before God, at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and would say, 'I used everything YOU gave me.'"
A Life Still in Motion
82
Years Young
Embracing each day as a new opportunity to create, connect, and contribute.
64
Years as a Nurse
For over six decades dedicated to healing and comforting others.
100+
Paintings Created
Each one a unique expression of memories, emotions, and spiritual reflections.
15
Years of the Pageant
Empowering senior women to rediscover their confidence and voice.
These numbers tell a story of a life lived fully, with purpose and passion. But the journey continues — there are still more paintings to create, more poems to write, and more lives to touch.
Connect With Me

Contact Information
Email: eliasartat82@gmail.com
Interested in purchasing a painting, ordering my book, or collaborating on a community project? I'd love to hear from you. Complete the form or reach out directly to discuss commissions, speaking engagements, or workshop opportunities.
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Let's connect and continue this beautiful journey together!