I met Santa Fe Artist Ellen (Ellie) Fuller at a dinner party a few weeks ago and we chatted about her art and her new studio. She invited me to come for tea and to have a look. She lives just north of Santa Fe in the picturesque village of Tesuque - home to the Santa Fe Opera and close to the Tesuque Pueblo, a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos.
It's a lovely drive going north out of Santa Fe and turning onto the winding gravel rode that takes me to Ellie's secluded, art-filled home, I already feel that lovely serenity that enthrawls when traveling anywhere in New Mexico.
T H E H O M E
The long, narrow lap pool in front of the house, although covered in a winter tarp, hints at the lovely morning and evening 'swims' that await. And when you step inside, the beautiful mingling of east and west is a charming divergence from typical Southwest style.
The simple arrangement in this delicate wooden bowl personifies that east/west sensibility...
This romantic chaise, sitting next to one of the dozens of windows in this light-filled house, offers gorgeous views of the property and brings the outside in.
A self portrait...
One of her Mother's paintings. "She had no formal training; didn't know how to draw, but all of her paintings were imbued with so much feeling," explains Ellie. Her father was a businessman, she says, but also a violinist, so their home was always filled with music.
My personal favorite..
And her passion for nature is everywhere. She says that as a child she was shy and spent hours alone outdoors looking at birds; sitting by water and just listening; creating the foundation for her life-long fascination with nature that now informs her art.
She also had a passion for taking things apart and studying them, hence her intimacy and understanding of rendering details.
T H E S T U D I O
Her beautiful studio is in a renovated space next to her house. Curated Asian touches, in addition to her finished paintings bring a warm and inviting aesthetic to the large space. The gorgeous vintage wedding kimono takes center stage...
The exquisite detail on this piece took months
and months to realize...
K U D O S
And, Ellie has just sent off a submission to the prestigious, annual Birds in Art exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI.
Photo courtesy of the artist
A WONDERFUL TALENT!
Click the link below to see a lovely video of the artist and her process...
