Lake Forest Park artist Elsa Bouman passes November 19, 2025

“Whether creating or teaching, my art is spiritual testimony and where I find my truest self.” —Elsa Bouman

Elsa Bouman

My dear wife Elsa Louise Bouman left this world November 19, 2025 after an 11 month battle with stage four lung cancer. Elsa brightened everyone she met. She was creative, funny, curious and kind, loving and decent. Elsa inhabited art. It was the center of her life and she loved to share that center with the whole world that included me, our family, our friends, other artists, our community and especially the many students in her art or fiber arts classes.

She was always wise beyond her years, yet also like a delighted child in her daily discoveries. 

“Ever since I was a child I have been experimenting with art and nature, from making mud pies and making stew out of out of beach debris to rewriting recipes and mixing paint out of berries and spices. As an adult I follow alternative paths in my art and find much joy in the creation of the unique. 

One of Elsa's jigsaw puzzle art pieces

"What starts out as a vision becomes a puzzle and the puzzle is the exciting challenge. During the pandemic my sister Susan sent me a jigsaw puzzle. The works I created from the pieces have allowed me to solve the puzzle in new ways: undo the pattern and invent a new end product. This undoing of the expected finish has generally helped me find my way when the outcome was unclear.”

Elsa taught Summer and after school classes and assisted regular classroom teachers with ideas, practices and commitment to bringing joy and success to kids. When Elsa once asked a group of student artists what they wanted to be when they grew up, one of them instantly yelled out “Elsa.” They all loved her.

Elsa did not choose to be an artist. It was not supplemental. Her art existed within all the activities of daily life, and she loved learning to grow with any idea or form. 

Collage by Elsa Bouman

In discussing her collage making Elsa said, “My generative process differs from artwork to artwork. Sometimes inspiration comes to me in the form of snapshots, dreams and memories. Other times it’s film clips, color swatches or everyday objects.

"I start these mixed media pieces using sketches, glue, spray paint, acrylics, charcoal and whatever else works, going back and forth, often using papers and fabric as 'palette knives' to create edges and dimension. Any first step or small detail can lead to the entire process.”

Long ago she did a drawing of five little creatures asleep under a blanket in a cigar box. They had some human expressions but I clearly saw a dog nose on one and a small elephant trunk on another. The lid on the box said, “Hushies —five for a dollar.” I asked her what Hushies were and she said, “Shhhhh, that’s what we’re trying to find out.” How wonderful, I thought.

Luanne Brown and Elsa with welcome mats for refugees
Photo from group Facebook page

Elsa either did or taught drawing, painting, sculpting with “found” objects, quick sketches, crocheting (especially welcome mats for refugees), sewing, weaving, cyanotype, collage and mixed media.

Elsa has painted a large portrait of a black cow wearing a pearl necklace, a series of mixed media skeletal figures, one with a cat’s head, all on the backs of old tv trays. 

One collage entry shows a model from the 1950’s lovingly holding an automobile tire. 

She has painted a series of women leaping into the air (though an observer might think they are falling). One of the flying women paintings is titled “Gretchen Calls in Sick.” Another is called “ Three of the Yelton Twins,” and we see three legs. A horsefly in a dress is called “Salome Regrets,” and she has several closeups of the large, rubbery feet of coots.

Thank you note from students who learned to
make mats for refugees in a class Elsa taught

Elsa saw everything with quick wit in art and language. Once, when. I mentioned a trip of some kind, she said, “Good. I’ll get the ears on my costume fixed,” as if that was the next logical thing to say. 

And she loved beautiful songs, one of which was “My Silent Love,” a lovely jazz ballad from the 1930’s, written by Dana Suesse, the “Girl Gershwin.” It had occurred to both of us that “My Silent Love” sounded just about the same as “Mice Island Love.” Of course she did the artwork showing mice in bathing suits lounging on a tropical island. And she wrote new lyrics to go with it.

Here are the original words, then Elsa’s version.

My Silent Love

by Dana Suesse

I reach for you like I’d reach for a star

Worshipping you from afar

Living with My Silent love

I’m like a flame dying out in the rain

only the ashes remain

Smoldering with My Silent Love.

How I long to tell all the things I have planned

Still it’s wrong to tell

You would not understand

You’ll go along never dreaming I care

Loving Somebody, somewhere

Leaving me My silent Love

Mice Island Love

By Elsa Bouman

I search for cheese ‘neath the tropical moon

Hoping a rodent will soon

Offer me Mice Island Love

I try to sing but I only can squeak

‘Cause I’m a mousey so meek

Looking for Mice Island Love

Balmy breezes blow essence of cheddar and brie

Still I cannot find one little mouse girl for me

I’m just a castaway mouse who’s so blue

Nibbling dreams ‘stead of you

Thinking of Mice Island Love.

When we lived in Oakland, Elsa worked as a graphic artist for Bill Graham Presents and created many posters for rock concerts for groups like The Grateful Dead and other notables. She also designed covers for many jazz and blues recordings and began teaching art in after school and Summer programs at Marin Country Day School.

After we moved to Lake Forest Park Elsa was active with many artist groups and projects, especially at the Town Center and Third Place Commons. She helped community art work on the back wall of the commons. 

Fiber Meetup with Shoreline students
Led by Elsa Bouman at Third Place Commons

She led the Lake Forest Park Fiber Arts Club, and plunged into spinning, needle felting, sewing, designing, weaving and knitting. 

She contributed in many ways to the gallery of the Shoreline Arts Council, doing volunteer work, exhibiting her art and leading collage workshops for people of all ages. 

She was an enthusiastic participant in the Northwest Collage Society and always contributed her art to the collaboration of the NWCS and Cancer Lifeline to provide art to accompany the poetry of people with cancer.

At one time, when Elsa taught weaving, she was known as “The Loom Lady.” She was active in ATC the Artists Trading Card group. She built tiny, surrealistic dioramas in Altoids tins, and toward the end time she created colorful and distinct Mandalas.

Mixed media painted on a tray
By Elsa Bouman

Elsa came from Holland, Michigan and she was all Dutch. Family connections were important to Elsa. Her parents and brothers and sisters always were and have been close and loving partners in her life and, naturally, artists. Our son Johnny is also wonderful artist. Among other things he has illustrated a children’s book and one night appeared at Third Place bookstore on an author’s night. My older son Joad is also a fine artist and my daughter Alexis is a brilliant and humanitarian nurse.

In the last few weeks, as I looked around the house, I found art that I had never seen before, from sketches and dioramas to fragments tucked into drawers, cabinets and bookshelves. And I saw her everywhere, planning little gifts for others, feeding birds, creating a garden and listening to nature books about water and trees. And music. Elsa loved the beauty of the human voice and listened to people like the Mills Brothers and K.D. Lang. And I see her absorbing all the good the world has to offer and giving it back to the world in her endless love and joy. How lucky we have been to know her. I see her everywhere, everywhere.

Ray Skjelbred

Photos from Shorelake Arts, except as noted