Elena M. Roché (pronounced "row-shay") was born in Vilnius, Lithuania in 1975.  Her maternal grandfather was a prominent architect in Vilnius, but because he was Ukrainian-Polish from Russia, he was given little credit for his achievements.  He and his wife, Elena's maternal grandmother, served together in the Soviet Army in the defense of Moscow during the Second World War.

     Her paternal grandfather was a quiet and modest man who joined the Soviet Army out of patriotism.  Through the urging of his wife, Elena's paternal grandmother, he rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.  He later became disillusioned with the corruption in the military and only reluctantly took part in the 1968 repression of the Czechoslovak Prague Spring.  After being stationed for seven years in East Germany, near Dresden, he retired after returning to Russia rather than continuing up the ranks.

     Elena's mother was born in Lithuania, and was raised and educated there until she went to Moscow to enter college studying landscape design.  While in Moscow she married a Russian man. Later she purposely chose to give birth to both Elena and her sister, Irina, in Lithuania because of the superior medical care available compared to Soviet Russia.

     Elena spent most of her summers in Lithuania and was influenced by the more genteel attitude of the people there and the knowledge that life could be better than in Russia.  But because she was Russian, by virtue of her last name, she would have been discriminated against if she chose to live in Lithuania.

     Elena Roché's Studio is on the grounds of her home, El Refugio, which borders Topanga State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains.

     In her mountain redoubt, Elena Roché paints virtually all of her floral watercolors and some still life from subjects in her own garden.  This extensive garden includes sections devoted to wildflowers, cactus and succulents, flowering trees, flowering vines, bulbs, fruit and citrus trees, potted and in-ground flowers, herbs and a kitchen vegetable garden.  She grows orchids both outside and indoors.  Because of the mild and predictable Southern California weather, flowers are available year-round and are painted plein air, i.e. outdoors on site.

     Portrait commissions, architectural portrait commissions and still life are painted indoors in the Studio.

    Eight of Elena's floral watercolors were published in The Watercolor Flower Artist's Bible.  This book is available in book stores starting September, 2007.