We recently connected with Ellen Nelson and have shared our conversation below.

Ellen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve worked on so many projects over the last decade that have been meaningful in different ways: commissions that are dear to people’s hearts, that have allowed me to connect with others on very deep and surprising levels; commissions that have been incredibly challenging, pushing and improving my own skills as an artist; works of public art that impact and are cherished by the larger community around me. Perhaps the most meaningful project that I’ve worked on was an entire body of works that I created for a solo show at the Kalamazoo Arts Council in March of 2020, titled, “The Infinity Between Zero and One.” It included eleven oil paintings and two fabric pieces, a new medium for me. For this series, I tried new styles that have since very much changed the way I work. The process of creating the works allowed me to transmute my fears, depression, and anger into something beautiful, and changed me for the better in ways that are difficult to quantify.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a painter, primarily oil on canvas, with numerous murals under my belt as well. I graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA in 2013, moved to Kalamazoo to snag a downtown studio space, and have been a working artist ever since. Over the past decade, I’ve completed a variety of commissions, ranging from landscapes, to portraits, children’s book illustrations, motion-filled mandalas, and small- to large-scale murals. When I’m not working on commissions, I make my own pieces, which I release every so often as bodies of work. Right now, I show and sell my paintings primarily in lower Michigan. Through my paintings, I seek to find the truth and beauty in the chaotic patterns of everyday life. I am interested in the pairing of darkness and light, known and unknown. I use colors, patterns, and objects that are joyful, nostalgic, or powerful, with the hope that my final pieces will offer viewers moments of respite from the weight of the world.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Come to art shows, buy art, pay artists. When in doubt, pay artists in every step of the process – from initial sketches and concepts to final execution. Is there any kind of artistic service, however small, that you are seeking? I cannot stress this enough – it needs to be paid for.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Making something ultimately brings a little light into the world. I think we need that more than we know.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ellennelsonartist.com
• Instagram: @ellennelsonartist
• Facebook: @ellennelsonartist

Image Credits
No credits necessary