("Branching Out" by Ingrid Ellison)

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Ingrid's earliest memories of Maine were floating in a little sloop amidst the fog and rocks of the coastline. Ingrid's studies led her to a BS from Skidmore College and an MFA from American University. Additionally, she spent a year learning printmaking at Il Bisonte in Florence, Italy. Her work built in layers, is informed by elements of nature, both from the surrounding environment and from the microscopic world. Since moving to Maine in 2007, Ingrid's exhibits include the CMCA's 2008 Biennial and First Traces Exhibit, and the 2010 I-95 Triennial at University of Maine, Bangor. Ingrid lives in Camden with her husband and two children.

When did you first realize that you were going to be an artist and when did you first start making art?
I always made things or drew as a child. When I was in middle school a friend’s family took me on a trip to NYC. I was introduced to the world of SOHO galleries and cool loft spaces. It was a very romantic view of an artist’s life and I think I was captivated by it. Reality set in many years later after I signed the lease on my first workspace in Boston.

Who or what inspires you?
Other creative processes inspire me: music, movement, language-all these mediums make their mark through space; painting can make a record of that. Visually, experiencing the surrounding world and being out in the environment- everything has a pattern, line, shape and color that is interesting.

Is (was) anyone else in your family in the arts?
My mother is a musician. I had a great grandmother who painted on delicate china pieces- I discovered that as an adult. In my immediate family, my husband sketches, my son draws, and my daughter photographs.

Are you self-trained or did you go to art school?
I went to school. Grad school gave me time and a good work space for two years. It was a challenging time but a good experience overall. The dialogue between artists and peers was the most valuable aspect. I’ve continued to take workshops over the years when the opportunities present themselves.

Is the process of creating your art long or short?
Long. I use oils and they dry slowly.

(Detail of Ingrid Ellison's Studio)

Tell us something about your work.
I usually work in a series-trying out variations on a theme or a thought. The paintings are made by building layers over a period of time-kind of how a print is made using multiple plates. Sometimes parts of the work is more intuitive, there’s more of a push and pull with the paint, like a conversation.

Do you have a subject matter that defines you as an artist?
I do not feel defined by what I paint so much as how I paint it. I think my subject is actually the painting process itself.

What makes you stay with a particular subject matter? Why are you drawn to it?
I am drawn to discovering exquisite lines found in nature. I just try to translate that with paint onto a two dimensional plane. I guess I stay with a subject or motif until I feel like I have exhausted it. I have been using a cellular image in my work for close to a year now. I am not bored with it yet.

How do you stay motivated?
Coffee and deadlines?

What have you been working on lately? Are you experimenting with anything new?
At the risk of seeming too decorative, I have been trying to work metallic paint into my paintings. I like the changing reflective quality. I have also always loved the gold leaf in ancient icon paintings- so I am making some smaller pieces.

("Fall Comes Early" by Ingrid Ellison)

Has your medium changed from when you first started out?
Not a lot. I like the tradition of oil paint. I do also make drawings and watercolors when I am out of my studio. When I have access to a press, I’ll make prints too.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Paint for yourself.

What kind of comment do you despise the most when overheard at one of your openings?
Any reaction is a good reaction-it’s a conversation starter.

What kind of comment pleases you the most when overheard at one of your openings?
I guess one where my work is appreciated for what it is instead of dismissed for what it isn’t.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
It is not my forte, but I am working on it.

("Let it Bleed" by Ingrid Ellison)

Do you have any outside interests other than art?
I spend a lot of time with my family and my community. I also practice yoga, garden and knit.

Are you disciplined about your creative process (in other words, do you treat the process like a job, where you keep particular hours in the studio), or are you more spontaneous?
In a perfect world, yes I am disciplined- in my world, not so much. My family takes a fair amount of my time and attention. I usually work on a series of pieces for a period of time and when they are finished I take a break.

How would your life change if you were no longer allowed to create art?
I would have to find something else to make-probably knit lots of sweaters for everyone.

What's the best part of being a full time, working artist?
Solitude in the studio.

What's the worst part of being a full time, working artist?
Isolation in the studio.

("Watch Over Me" by Ingrid Ellison)

Do you have any upcoming shows?
I have three pieces in the upcoming I-95 Triennial at the U of Maine, Bangor. I can also be seen in the virtual gallery on Maine Art Scene right now.

Where can we find your work?
I have recently become a partner of the Åarhus Gallery in Belfast!

>link to Ingrid Ellison's blogspot

- Brenda Bonneville, editor

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