Biography of Kathryn Ellis Plein Air Painter

Kathryn Malany Ellis
Biography & Statement

“I’m inspired by the beauty of our world in its many atmospheric moods and enjoy the creative process while striving to capture its essence at a particular moment in time.”

The art of Kathryn Malany Ellis is the product of an adventurous spirit and a lifelong love of  the beauty and richness of the natural world. Invigorated by the energy, color, light, texture, and atmosphere of her surroundings, she strives to capture her subjects with rich colors in an impressionistic, painterly style.

Growing up in the bucolic countryside of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Kathy honed a strong appreciation of the outdoors as she gardened with her father and wandered through fields and woods near her home. After college and marrying, she moved to Annapolis, Maryland, where proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and its environs continued to develop and refine her love of nature. Here she raised her three sons and sailed the bay, experiencing life and nature as adventures …and here her artistic and creative juices started flowing. She studied with noted photographer Richard Bond, developing a preference for black and white photography emphasizing composition and design, began collecting fine art, and took advantage of the wealth of galleries and museums in the Washington, DC area.

After her sons were grown, Kathy moved to Northern Virginia, commencing a degree program in Art History at George Mason University. Her interest in becoming a fine artist strengthened and she began studio studies and fell in love with painting.
Following graduation, she studied figure with Rick Weaver and figure-in-a-landscape with Dodie Petro at The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia.

In 1998, Kathy and her husband began a new adventure: becoming innkeepers in the scenic coastal village of Half Moon Bay, California.  She continued her studies at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, and then focused en plein air, beginning with California Academy of Painters. Kathy has also studied with well-known artists as Kenn Backhaus, Brian Blood, Gavin Brooks, Jeanette LeGrue, Craig Nelson, Camille Przewodek, and Randy Sexton.

The spectacular, rugged Northern California coast, mountains, peaceful valleys and small towns provide subjects and inspiration for many of Kathy’s recent works. She paints regularly with Peninsula Outdoor Painters (POPS) and LGAA Plein Air Group.

Associations:
Oil Painters of America - OPA
Los Gatos Art Association - LGAA
Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Assoc. - MBPAPA
Society of Western Artists - SWA
Peninsula Outdoor Painters - POPS

Exhibitions & Events:
Portola Art Gallery, Paint Allied Arts
Plein Air Paint-out & Exhibit, 2009
North Tahoe Plein Air, juried into 2009 event
AVA Art Festival, Mountain View, 2009
Los Gatos Art Association, 25th Annual Open Juried Show, 2009
Museums of Los Gatos, Touch My Heart, 2009 – Honorable Mention Award
Society of Western Artists’ Octagon Gallery Show 2009
Los Gatos Art Association, Annual Member Juried Show, 2008
Portola Art Gallery Plein Air Event, “Paint Allied Arts”, 2008
MontereyBay Plein Air Painters Association, The Painted Landscape, 2008
Main Street Café & Books, Los Altos, CA - June Invitational Painting Exhibit, 2008
Ayr Hill Gallery, Vienna, VA, Opening Show, 2008
Los Altos Plein Air Event and Show, 2007 - Honorable Mention Award
Los Gatos Art Association, Annual Open Juried Show, 2007
Society of Western Artists, Octagon Gallery Show, 2007
Society of Western Artists, Small Works Show, 2007