Rene Ellis is an eclectic artist working in pastel, acrylic, photography, and fused glass. Her pastel work encompasses traditional plein air painting, still life, portraiture, and abstraction. Her acrylic paintings are vibrant and energetic. Her photography includes traditional landscape, cloudscapes, and pastoral scenes as well as abstractions and strange encounters with found objects.
Since childhood, Rene has been profoundly influenced by the French Impressionists, Monet, Manet, Degas, and Renoir. Her primary focus is on capturing light and emotion. Her approach is quiet and contemplative, with the goal of creating emotional connections between nature, herself, and her audience. Primarily self-taught, Rene has studied with some of the living legends and top teachers of our time. These include Fred Somers, Albert Handel, Sally Strand, Elisabeth Mowry, Richard McKinley, and Leslie B. DeMille.
