i’m ilse — a chicago-based mixed media artist painting in watercolor, pen and ink, and acrylic on one-of-a-kind vintage leather.

my newest work starts with a hunt: i source vintage leather coin purses and wallets from makers like buxton, gimbels, and étienne aigner, then paint original images directly onto the leather. each piece is prepped and sealed so it becomes a wearable, one-of-a-kind work of art.

i grew up surrounded by creativity, with an oil painter for a mom, spending much of my childhood in art camps, sketching, and making anything crafty. inspired by travel photography, architecture, food, and everyday objects, i eventually started keeping watercolor travel journals as a more personal way to capture places.

around 2015, i started taking online art courses more seriously, and during the pandemic in 2020, i deepened my practice through virtual and in-person classes, experimenting with new materials and taking on commissions along the way.

you can find my work here, in person at givanne in chicago, and at local art markets around the city.

this space is an evolving collection of prints, paper goods, commissions, and future projects inspired by color, texture, and the small details that make life memorable.