Elena Agostinis was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and holds a bachelor of arts degree in graphic design from Stellenbosch University. She emigrated to the United States in 1975 with her husband Mark Patterson and worked at Conde Nast, freelancing design projects while raising their two sons.

In 2003, Elena initiated the Tannersville Paint Project in the dilapidated village of 450 registered voters. The project aired twice on NBC’s TODAY show by Mike Leonard. In 2021, Tannersville won a $10 million award from the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative, typically reserved for large cities. The Paint Project in Tannersville continues today, still building on Elena’s legacy.

Elena is the author of 5 Houses on the Wild Side, The Painted Village, and Jewelry on the Wild Side. She also chairs the US-registered nonprofit Bulamu Healthcare International, operating in Uganda and Zambia, which provides free healthcare for Uganda and Zambia’s neediest.