Epiphany of Three Elements

        I was asked recently what goes through my mind as I work on a painting. If the working environment is conducive to the task, the elements of working a painting seamlessly usually come together without great effort. For me, there is always a tug of war with the natural flow of where the painting seems to magically appear or when it seems to fight back. The fight back experience makes the finished product sweeter. We artists like to call this the learning curve. For me the learning is ongoing and is intensified with the unusual struggle that sometimes makes the successfully completed painting even more rewarding.

        But what is going through my mind?  Why do I put myself through this arduous experience … why was I not a potter or maybe a blacksmith?

       The important elements that I want to be present at each creation are the basic factors that make a painting “work”. These are the times to step back, sip some tea and review the basic elements of a good painting. Are they here in this painting, I ask, and do they work together to tell the story that was intended? One last filter that helps me review the nearly finished painting include a check of three painting elements:     simplify, intensify, and unify.

       Recent works still challenge that process. I love dunes and paint a lot of them. Once in awhile a painting of these fine physical gifts of nature rises above (pun intended) other painterly expressions. Strait Ahead, was finished a few days ago, completed in two long sessions. It began simply – a horizon meeting a summer sky. But then the work began to intensify its surroundings. Using the pallet knife, brushes, fingers, I felt exuberant with the motions. Finally I knew I had to unify the elements before me – clouds, grasses, sand path. Three simple measures led me to a comforting satisfaction.  

As Joseph Campbell said,
Following your ‘bliss’, As much as you can, do what you love. (The Art of Fine Art).

An Artist's Life in the Pandemic

       It has been a long time and much has transpired since the last blog post in February. We all have experienced seismic changes in our lives. The daily routines that glue our lives together have been severed and new ones put into place that we have started calling the new normal. I will say that making good use of time we tackled the old inventory records with lots of cross referencing from very early works to the most recent paintings. We are now able to look at a clean slate of years of painting and know the history of  this pleasant job.

       Last year was our most rewarding and affirming art year with many sales and positive connections. Thanks to all the wonderful folks sharing positive feedback for my work. As this year unfolds there are early indications of continued interest in the arts with venues making plans for new and interesting openings, though most for 2021.

       The paintings that I have been working on have a sense of darkness that goes against my personal reason for making art, so I take a deep breath turn off the media and get a sun brewed ice tea to face the darkness with courage and do what painters do… paint.

Again, thank you friends and patrons, here are a few of the new pieces from the new life.  Joel

Wash Away   16x20   oil on linen

Pine Bay  20x16   oil on linen

Forest Dreams   30x24   acrylic on linen

Flowers on the Wall  12x16    acrylic on linen

Omwake and The Fine Art of Art

       Invites to early spring art shows are being fulfilled. The studio is beginning to feel like home. And a few paintings are completed. To get to this point meant a few rough times, the paintings just did not have a smooth natural flow. Smooth easy painting times are such a gift. When the effort to paint is difficult, we artists have our own methods to get back in the groove.

Wet Beach   20x24   oil on canvas

       When I am having difficulty, I go to my books the ones that have a pleasant feel about making art. A short visit usually gets the paint flowing easier. In my library I found a book previously purchased, but I had not given it the time to pursue. With three unfinished paintings, now was the time. As I began to read the first several pages I realized this author has a lot to give to those of us trying to produce satisfactory art. A little more into the book and I recognized that through content, research, but mostly through experience this author really knows the soul of the artists. In The Art of Fine Art, Essays, and Guiding Lights After 50 Years of Work the author, Eo Omwake, puts into words what the artist feels. He explains the complex world of those who create art in an approach that is insightful and humorous,  holding  the reader’s attention sometimes causing noisy outbursts of agreement and laughter.

   

       For me knowing when a painting is finished is more difficult than getting started. In one of Eo Omwake later sections of his book he presents a discussion titled Finishing. My university oil painting professor told me it takes two people to complete a painting, one to do the painting and one to tell you when to stop. When a painting feels like it is coming to conclusion I have to step back, take a deep breath, look away, get a sip of tea and slowly turn around for a quick sneak peek. If I don’t get a “hell yeah!”,  then the process has to be revisited until the effort has been completed and a welcome sense of satisfaction confirms - that was fun!

                   Post script – For artists The  Art of Fine Art….  is a book to treasure and revisit often. Check it out wherever and however you buy books.

Autumn Embrace   16x20   acrylic on canvas

Getting back to it now, with successful wishes for your making and enjoying art, Joel

Do What You Love!

       It has been a long and fun holiday season with all the cookies and loved ones visiting but it’s about time to get back to work. The new studio is almost functioning with just a few glitches that will be worked out by use.

Selected for the permanent collection in
Shiawassee Art Center
Blue Dune

       The holiday art shows will be coming down this first month of 2020 and new paintings delivered to start out the New Year. We are happy to announce that one of our new favorite shore paintings, Blue Dune, has been selected to be in the permanent collection of Shiawassee Art Center, Owosso Michigan. A big thanks to the hard working folks at SAC who continue to make art experiences possible in a beautiful setting for artists and art lovers in lower Michigan.

       We also send special thanks for all the support and encouragement throughout the very unusual 2019. May you all be safe and prosperous in the new year. Now back to work in the studio! As my wife’s mother often encouraged me, “Do what you love.”

Back to work! at Joel F. Ellis Art

Joel F. Ellis is still painting!

Dear friends, family, patrons – Joel Ellis Art is alive and well and living in a new home with a studio that invites time and space to create art. We invite you to see some of the Joel Ellis works this December in Greater Lansing, Michigan:  

·       Michigan Economic Development Corporation currently has several Joel Ellis paintings on the main floor of 300 N. Washington downtown Lansing, Michigan

·       Shiawassee Art Center (SAC) Castle Drive, Owosso Michigan is exhibiting five specially selected works through the holiday season along with an array of great work by many area artists

·       Other Joel Ellis pieces may be viewed at the attorney offices of Fahey Schultz Burzych and Rhodes on Okemos Road across from Delta Dental and in the McLaren Physicians Building on Lake Lansing Road, Lansing. 

Meadow in Bloom, currently Shiawassee Art Center, Owosso, MI

             Moving has been an exhilarating experience especially with racks of colorful paintings, but we are here now and ready to get back to work. Our best wishes for exceptional holidays to all of you. Thank you for a successful year of sharing Joel Ellis original art with your own circle of friends and associates.  There is more to come.

Affectionately, Joel and Helene Ellis

Joel painting in the old studio

Sharing Art Inspiration at Good Venues

It is gratifying for most artists to show their work. Often at receptions for a show people ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer. The number one that is on the viewers mind … can you guess? ... What inspired me to paint that image? Was I there? Did I do it on sight? Or did I use a photo?

This is a hard question to respond to because I prefer to have seen the image in the real world or more at least in my mind’s eye. I guess a more direct answer is I like to paint from photos that I have taken at an inspiring scene. That way the sense of place is easier to capture and put on canvas. Yes, I do have a bunch of thoughtful photos taken from faraway places and many nearby.

A more recent challenge came this week when I wanted to paint from the memory of an emotional moment. In a Michigan state park we found two grave sites on a little trail. The marker explained the sad events of those who died. The story was haunting as we experienced it in the woods surrounding the marker.  But the photo was missing from my stash. I forged ahead anyway. The canvas was made ready, paint applied and the moment of our experience was on canvas titled River Spirit.

River Spirit, 24x30 acrylic on canvas

A few days later I was looking for another photo and found the missing image surprising me because the painting proved my memory was still intact. The desire for the image had captured the sense of that haunting moment.

The short answer for how do I get the inspiration for the painting is to be still on those moving occasions, soaking in what I see, and imprint the emotional image on my mind. Then I take a photo just in case.

Ephemeral Moment, 30x40 acrylic on canvas

This year has been and continues to be very satisfying with interest in my art. We recently sold a special piece at the Shiawassee Art Center member show – Ephemeral Moment which is still up at the Art Center until August 25. We also received a call from Corporate Portfolio for two of my paintings purchased by Mercantile Bank in Grand Rapids.  Today we are preparing for a show at Focus Hope, 1355 Oakman Blvd. near downtown Detroit , with a unique lunchtime reception on Wednesday August 28. The exhibit is sponsored by Michigan ArtShare . I am very excited about these validations of my work. Thank you to all who have made this possible.

        For questions about Joel Ellis Art paintings or venues, please drop a note to Joel Ellis Art and I will be happy to get my staff (Helene) to share with you.

Peace,

Joel

Healing With Art

       It has been a long a time since I have written the Joel Ellis Art Blog. I could use the usual excuses, and do I have a long list to draw from, nothing to compare to Picasso painting with WWII gun battles blazing in the streets of Paris. Amazing that he could continue to work at all.

       A few years ago I took high school seniors to Washington D C.  We went to the holocaust museum where the seniors viewed the art created  by children in concentration camps. There wasn’t a dry eye in the senior class.

Michigan Sands 13x15 oil on linen

       The arts can be very healing and help us explore our inner soul, such as the healing we so long for in the times of stress and doubt. So we pick up where we last felt at peace and continue on the path to connect with the creative inner voice. All will be fine, just carry on.

       When someone wants your work for their collection it is validation that your efforts have been noticed and it made a connection. The artist’s efforts will be a part of a new home. I would like to thank all the new owners of my art work that have made this spring so meaningful to us, and may the new art enrich your lives for years to come.

       Following are some of the paintings purchased this year from Joel Ellis Art. Thanks to all who chose to put these and other works into their original art collections. Thank you also to Shiawassee Art Center in Owosso for the beautiful place to exhibit quality art from Michigan artists.

Welcome Home  19x25 acrylic on canvas

Evening Breeze 18x24 oil on linen

Spirit of Three Fires 24x30 acrylic on canvas

Amber Eve 24x30 acrylic on canvas

Early Walk 30x40 acrylic on canvas