1878 & Brown Foundation Galleries
June 2 – July 8, 2018
Opening Reception Saturday, June 8, 2018
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Artist talk at 6:30 PM
This exhibition, and accompanying catalog, was organized by the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont.
Ellen Tanner
Fables, Families & Myths
Ellen Tanner’s paintings tell intricate stories that unfold through layers of fine detail, carefully rendered textures, and rich color. Her sources of inspiration for the exhibition Families, Fables and Myths include ancient tales exposing human nature, the secret lives of animals, creatures, and characters in myths. These stories provide the framework that Tanner fills with her own unique cast of characters. Each microscopic element plays a part in the larger picture, and when woven together all the details create an intimate world to explore.
Ellen Tanner earned a BFA in Graphic Design at the University of North Texas in 1998 and worked as an illustrator and graphic designer at Fossil Watch Company for 5 years. She moved to Austin in 2003 where she earned a degree in Art Education from the University of Texas. It was during a mandatory studio art class that she fell in love with oil painting. Since that class, Ellen has devoted as much time as possible to working in the studio and teaching herself to paint. Inspired by the fine detail and luminous colors of the Flemish masters, she has sought out information on their techniques and has cobbled together a personal approach to painting with thin glazes of color over a grisaille. She applies these skills with a microscopic focus that makes each painting a tiny yet fully realized world, rich with detail and color. She is represented by Moody Gallery in Houston, TX.
