Ellen is an artist who works with designers and their clients to create custom art.
What is your earliest memory of creating art?
My first memory of creating art was when I was in Kindergarten. I don’t remember the details, but I made a little cat sculpture out of (and this is going to date me) the little wax bottles that had colored sugar water in them…like little soda bottles…Well, I formed a little cat out of the wax, and I remember my teacher, Miss Kathy, put it on display and made a big deal about it to my mother.
Why did you choose acrylic as your medium?
When I first started painting, my children were little. I needed a medium that dried quick, cleaned up easily, and did not smell toxic. Now that they are older, and I have more time, maybe I will experiment with other media.
What is your creative process like?
There are two different versions of my creative process…but, since I paint on wood, they both start with a trip to the Home Depot. I pick out a nice piece of Birch plywood, have it cut to size, then purchase 1 x 1’s to build out a frame. There is glueing, nailing and sanding that follows! Then I get to work!
When I paint for the sake of creating…anything can inspire me…a photo, the sky, my pets, even just a color I see that day can trigger the creative process. I try to have canvases built….but if I don’t….I must make a run to the Home Depot…I build…and then I immerse myself in the painting. Nothing else gets done, and the world could be falling apart around me…I continue on. I really never know what I will create…I have a bit of an idea…but am always surprised when I am done.
When I am painting for a client…the process is a bit different. There is at least one, if not multiple conversations with the client (and their interior decorator if they are using one). I go to their home with some paintings I already have, so they can get a better feel for my style, and to determine size, color likes, dislikes…etc. I like get to know them (my paintings are like my babies…I want to make sure they are in good homes!). Once in their home, I get a sense of their style….do they want an abstract, more of a landscape….anything else that inspires them….what colors will work with their decor…etc. Once we decide on all that…..I make a trip to the Home Depot…and the process begins!!!
What’s been your greatest artistic success?
I consider every time someone says they love my work, to be a great artistic success!
Do you ever experience creative blocks?
Yes! I find that if I think too much about how the piece should look…I hit a wall. When I just let me gut guide me, I am always pleasantly surprised!
You can check Ellen’s work here: http://www.houzz.com/projects/1805959/ellen-catanzaro-custom-art
