Ellen is an artist who works with designers and their clients to create custom art.

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What is your earliest memory of creating art?

My first memory of creating art was when I was in Kindergarten.  I don’t remember the details, but I made a little cat sculpture out of (and this is going to date me) the little wax bottles that had colored sugar water in them…like little soda bottles…Well, I formed a little cat out of the wax, and I remember my teacher, Miss Kathy, put it on display and made a big deal about it to my mother.
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Why did you choose acrylic as your medium?

When I first started painting, my children were little.  I needed a medium that dried quick, cleaned up easily, and did not smell toxic.  Now that they are older, and I have more time, maybe I will experiment with other media.
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What is your creative process like?

 There are two different versions of my creative process…but, since I paint on wood, they both start with a trip to the Home Depot.  I pick out a nice piece of Birch plywood, have it cut to size, then purchase 1 x 1’s to build out a frame.  There is glueing, nailing and sanding that follows! Then I get to work!
When I paint for the sake of creating…anything can inspire me…a photo, the sky, my pets, even just a color I see that day can trigger the creative process.  I try to have canvases built….but if I don’t….I must make a run to the Home Depot…I build…and then I immerse myself in the painting.  Nothing else gets done, and the world could be falling apart around me…I continue on.  I really never know what I will create…I have a bit of an idea…but am always surprised when I am done.
When I am painting for a client…the process is a bit different.  There is at least one, if not multiple conversations with the client (and their interior decorator if they are using one). I go to their home with some paintings I already have, so they can get a better feel for my style, and to determine size, color likes, dislikes…etc.  I like get to know them (my paintings are like my babies…I want to make sure they are in good homes!).  Once in their home, I get a sense of their style….do they want an abstract, more of a landscape….anything else that inspires them….what colors will work with their decor…etc.  Once we decide on all that…..I make a trip to the Home Depot…and the process begins!!!
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What’s been your greatest artistic success? 

 I consider every time someone says they love my work, to be a great artistic success! 
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Do you ever experience creative blocks?
Yes! I find that if I think too much about how the piece should look…I hit a wall. When I just let me gut guide me, I am always pleasantly surprised!