Ellen Dreibelbis
Oakland, California
Website

I would describe myself as a metaphorical realist.  I am attracted to painting figures that are psychological, archetypal or mythological.  In creating my portraits and figure paintings, I am intrigued by the strong inner emotion I see in my subjects.  I love to watch people on the street, in cafes or on subways.  Sometimes I see a face alight with intense personal feeling, illuminating the anonymous environment like a beacon.  I am always on the lookout for a face, expression, or gesture that reaches beyond the mundane, and embodies a universal human experience, in all its poignance and beauty.  When I can envoke the experience, I feel closest to being satisfied as an artist.

I work in soft pastel on museum quality archival papers, such as Wallis or Art Spectrum.  I also make Limited Edition giclée prints of my paintings in editions 100-150.  These are printed on 100% cotton papers such as Arches watercolor, and Somerset Velvet, using fade-resistant archival inks.

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