Ellen Mc Donah

medium: painting

Click on the image to see the full version.

Solitude 2004 Painting	Winter Sunflowers 2002 Painting	Sunflowers in Vase 2003 Painting
Moses 2001 Painting	Katherine 2000 Painting	Jesus at the Temple 2000 Painting
The Trempealeau Hotel 2003 Painting	The Mississippi Mudcats 2004 Painting	Flying Together 2004 Painting
Thistle Blossom and Milkweed 2004 Painting

Contact information
Artist resides in: Galesville, WI
Email Address: ellen@ellenmcdonah.com
Web site: ellenmcdonah.com

Artist statement
Creating art has always been an important part of my life. My earliest childhood memories are of painting and drawing with my mother. I believe that the physical creation of art is the foundation of artistic expression. I enjoy painting in oils and pastels and drawing things that surround me.

For me, the best part of making original art is the personal aspect. I enjoy the creative process much more than the product. True to this belief, I seldom exhibit outside of my personal studio or private homes.

Artistic expression is a constant refinement of style for me. In painting, crossing the line toward Realism sometimes causes me to revolt artistically by creating loose and more Impressionistic paintings to satisfy the artistic urge. This journey to find my style is akin to a fulcrum as I search for the limits of my style in each range, but am most comfortable somewhere vacillating in the middle.

After studying Monet's paintings during a special exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, my direction changed. I was nose to canvas studying his strokes, colors and apparent technique, something impossible to glean from reproductions. I realized that even Monet caught hair in his paint just like me! I walked away that day as a different artist, more willing to take chances and create opportunities for those fantastic artistic accidents that keep me coming back to the canvas again and again.

Biography
Creating art has always been my passion, but not my day job. Despite a few art courses right out of high school, I am largely what most people consider to be a "self-taught" artist with a master's degree in education.

My younger years were spent raising children and working to make ends meet during a "honing-my-eye" stage. I try to remain focused upon the challenge of developing artistically by reading widely on the subject of art as it relates to my painting and studying the experiences of other artists. I consider myself fortunate because whereas artists usually seek to attract inspiration, inspiration seeks to find me, almost to the point of frustration! When I am not painting in my home/studio, or with the Plein Air Artists in La Crosse, I am teaching second grade students full-time. I share my days with some of the most creative people I know--children.