Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Ellis.
Hi Brad, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been making art most of my life. I was born and raised in Tulsa, OK, and started drawing and painting at an early age and ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tulsa.
A few years after I graduated, I moved to Dallas in 1987 and for several years had a corporate day job and painted on nights and weekends. As my work started to develop and evolve, I began to get more visibility and recognition which eventually led to gallery representation, and that expanded into several markets and commission opportunities. I’m now an established, mid-career artist whose focus is on abstract painting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a fun road to travel but of course, with any journey, there are going to be a lot of ups and downs and forks in the road to choose from. I am fortunate in that I knew from a young age I wanted to make art so it was a matter of finding a way to do that and I had the support of family and friends which I’m so grateful for. I think most every artist has to find a balance between creativity and commerce and that can be challenging. I’m still traveling down an artistic road so more surprises ahead, I’m sure!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Dallas-based artist whose focus is on abstract painting and printmaking. Throughout my career, I have experimented with imagery from tightly rendered, systematic patterns to loosely constructed, and expressionistic compositions. I have distinguished myself by embracing the ancient medium of encaustic which is hot wax painting and is a process by which heated bees wax is mixed with pigments and applied to board or canvas and then fused to the surface with a heat source. The pure physicality of the paint combined with various collage elements render distinct textures and surface treatments that energize my abstract imagery with color, movement, and excitement.
With each new body of work I create, I attempt to find new visual ground to cover and explore. I try to avoid overt duplication from the past and find a way forward that looks and feels recognizable but with a fresh, progressive twist which adds to my existing abstract vocabulary.
I am pleased to have my work represented by several fine art galleries across the country and to have my paintings included in many prominent private and corporate art collections. I was particularly honored to have been included in the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program, where my painting was exhibited in the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Kampala, Uganda for several years. As well, my work has been featured in a variety of publications including the books, Texas Abstract, Modern + Contemporary, published by Fresco Books, and Encaustic Art in The Twenty-First Century, published by Schiffer. Most recently my work has been featured in Encaustic Arts Magazine.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Everyone needs a little luck sometimes but I’ve discovered that lucky breaks in business usually follow hard work and perseverance. In my personal life, I’ve been very lucky to have been born into a loving and supportive family. I’ve also been lucky to have met my wife Cindi, to whom I’ve been married for 32 years. As an artist, I believe in keeping a diligent, daily studio practice where lucky things can and do happen!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bradellisart.com
- Instagram: brad_ellis_art
- Facebook: Brad Ellis – Abstract Artist
- Youtube: Brad Ellis Artist
