Elise Mcdonald was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and then moved to Knysna, South Africa, in 1996.
Graduated from Wits University, her first exhibition took place at Crake Gallery, in 1982.
After a period dedicate mostly to motherhood, Mcdonald recently picked up her paintbrush and has been selling works to both local and international buyers.
She describes her own works as instances of magical realism: she depicts her subjects realistically (flowers, birds, people) but she contextualizes their presence within a fantastic or magical situation. This allows her to portray her idea of freedom.