Biography of Kathryn Ellis
Plein Air Painter |
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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 vivid, 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 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 boys were grown, Kathy moved to Northern Virginia, commencing a degree program in Art History at George Mason University. As her interest in becoming a fine artist strengthened, 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, then continuing her studies at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto. She first focused en plein air under the tutelage of Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth at the California Academy of Painters, and has taken workshops from such well-known artists as Lindy Duncan, Jeanette LeGrue, Brian Blood, Camille Przewodek, Randy Sexton, and Kenn Backhaus.
"This is my passion… painting en plein air in the beautiful California landscape! I’m inspired by the beauty of our world and love the visceral experience of mixing colors. I enjoy the creative process surrounded by fresh air, ocean breezes, and sunshine; capturing the essence of the coastline, hills valleys, and small towns. I’m fascinated by the challenge of describing a ‘moment of time’ before it disappears with the moving sun and changing atmosphere."
The rugged Northern California coast --some of the most spectacular, emotionally evocative landscape in the world-- provides subjects and inspiration for many of Kathy’s recent works. She paints regularly with Peninsula Outdoor Painters (POPS) and participates in Verde Artist Guild and Los Gatos Art Association paint-outs.
Affiliations
Oil Painters of America - OPA
Los Gatos Art Association - LGAA
Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association - MBPAPA
Peninsula Outdoor Painters - POPS
Society of Western Artists - SWA
Exhibitions
Portola Art Gallery Plein Air Event, "Paint Allied Arts", 2008
MBPAPA Membership Show, "The Painted Landscape", 2008
Main Street Cafe & Books, Los Altos - Invitational Painting Exhibit, 2008
Ayr Hill Gallery, Vienna, VA, One Woman Show, 2008
Los Altos Plein Air Event and Show, Honorable Mention Award, 2007
Los Gatos Art Association, Open Juried Show, 2007
Society of Western Artists, Small Works Show, 2007
Society of Western Artists, Octagon Gallery Show, 2007
San Luis Obispo Art Center, Brushstrokes Show, 2007
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