Eleanora Kupencow’s journey as an artist began in early childhood, with what her mother fondly described as “drawing in the air” from a stroller or high chair. Her creative instincts were nurtured by a home filled with materials and encouragement. Crayons and coloring books gave way to tempera paints and French pastels provided by inspired teachers, while reams of paper—courtesy of her father, a printer—were always within reach.

Growing up in a household where making things was second nature, Kupencow was surrounded by creativity. Her brothers sketched cartoons, animals, and imagined worlds; her sister designed dresses; her mother sewed slipcovers and drapes; her father built cabinets, fences, and coops. As the youngest of four, she learned by watching—and by doing. In her family, no material was wasted; everything was raw material for invention. If something was seen in a catalog or showroom, they would try to replicate it—and often improve upon it.

This formative environment gave Kupencow the most vital gift an artist can receive: permission. The freedom to make, to risk, and to transform the world through imagination. She credits her family’s example with teaching her that creativity is not only valuable, but vital—that the world is ours to shape, one act of making at a time.