Statement

 Plants and animals have always been the surface on which humans have etched the foundations of culture, sustenance, and identity. For myself, natural forms are a continual source of fascination and deep aesthetic pleasure. At first glance my work explores the more modern prosaic concept of nature: a source of serene nostalgia but this is balanced with the more visceral experience of 'wildness' as remarkably alien and indifferent.  Upon closer inspection of each 'creature' the viewer may discover a frieze on which themes as familiar as domestication and as abrasive as domination fall into sharp relief.   These qualities are not only present in the final work but are fleshed out in the process of building. Each sculpture is constructed using an additive technique, layered from inside to out by an accumulation of innumerable tiny components.  Many of these components are microcosmic representations of plants, animals and objects.  Some are beautiful, some are grotesque and some are fantastical.  The singularity of each sculpture is the sum total of its small narrative structures.

  Over time I find my sculptures are evolving to be of greater emotional presence by using less physical substance: I subtract more and more to increase the negative space.  The element of weight, which has always seemed so fundamentally tied to the medium of sculpture, is stripped away and the laws of gravity are no longer in full effect.  In reading the stories contained in each piece we are forced to acknowledge their emotional gravity cloaked as it is in the light, the feminine, the fragile, and the unknowable.  

  Counter intuitively, while there is an appearance of complexity in design, there is a simplicity in execution. Each detail, down to the finest filigree, is free-modeled by hand.  Within each piece precision is balanced by chaos. The overarching aesthetic knocks on the door of realism, yet the hand of the artist is never intentionally erased; brush strokes and fingerprints abound.  Even the narratives themselves harbor a degree of anarchy as they are rarely formally structured.  Rather, I seek to achieve flow states while working to create a fluid progression of unconscious imagery.  That imagery, as manifest in tiny ephemeral shapes and beings, forms relationships and dialogues organically.  In the spirit of surrealism, this psychological approach to artistic expression creates a rich network of personal archetypes and motifs that appear to occupy their own otherworldly space. Within this ethereal menagerie, anthrozoology meets psychoanalysis as themes of natural beauty, curiosity, colonialism, domestication, death, growth, visibility and wildness are explored. 

Studio Practice

   While I seek to free my mind to the imaginative process, I am always striving to refine my working environment.  I work towards abstain from materials; clay, paints, glazes, finishes and mediums, that have known toxic properties.  This, unavoidably, excludes much of what is commonly commercially available, and has sent me on a journey of unique material combination and invention. This exploration is a large part of the unconventional look and feel of my work.  Where possible I source the natural, the local, the recycled or donated, the low impact and, always, the authentic.  

Background

  Ellen started life in Markham Ontario Canada. A born sculptor she cultivated her unique practice from the ground up at a young age and began producing commercially while still in high school. Her early life consisted of formal study in fine art, anthropology and zoology punctuated by experiences working in medical illustration, exotic animal care and teaching community art classes. Ellen's academic and artistic interests in the biological where intrinsically interwoven from the beginning.

   Ever the curious soul, while working as an artist Ellen has continued to study at every opportunity. According to Ellen, it all informs her art; enriching the content of the unconscious narrative flow.

  Over the past 10 years Ellen's sculptures have been featured in magazines, television, fine art anthologies, text books, and have made appearances on book covers and popular digital platforms. From Hi-Fructose, American Craft, Beautiful Bizarre and Colossal to Salon Première Vision (Paris) and The Nippon Television Network (Japan), and many more. Her individual sculptures are featured in public and private collections around the world; one of her interviews is even to be included in the Lunar Codex culture archive on the moon!

  In addition to her life as a professional artist Ellen operates a small scale animal refuge with the help of her partner on their Vancouver Island farm.  Everyday offers no shortage of hard work, inspiration and beauty.  In her spare seconds Ellen enjoys hiking and exploring, rock climbing, kayaking, mushroom hunting and drinking coffee.