Elyssa Leininger was born and raised surrounded in Billings, Montana, surrounded by the rugged beauty of the landscapes of the American West. She grew up riding and showing horses, participating in rodeo, hunting, fishing, hiking, and creating art inspired by her Western lifestyle. She spent a semester abroad in Italy studying art in 2014 and she graduated from Rocky Mountain College in 2017 with Bachelor degrees in art and biology, a minor in psychology, and the Rocky Mountain College Art Award.

 Elyssa has won numerous awards for her art, she has been featured in museums, auctions, and exhibits throughout the American West, and has public art displayed in the city of Billings, including a mural spanning more than 2,000 square feet on the busiest underpass in the city. She has also shared her passion for art by bringing art supplies to an orphanage in Ethiopia, where she taught the children how to paint and draw. 

Featuring vivid colors and high contrast, Elyssa’s dramatic Western and Wildlife works of art have been described as “Montana Baroque.” Her pieces seek to convey to the viewers her feelings, emotions, and love of the American West, so they, too, may experience her passion.