Ellen Dreibelbis brings a deeply spiritual element to her expressive oil and pastel artwork. See more of her portfolio by visiting her website.
“Contemporary Icon” Oil, 18” x 22”
I am inspired by the inner world—the contemplative, the psychological, the spiritual. My inspiration tends toward the timeless and universal rather than the trendy. I am not an artist of my time, but an artist of all times. I’m always scanning my world for the gesture, expression, pose or atmosphere which evokes a sense of ageless and enduring beauty.
“Mexican Girls Reading” Pastel, 16” x 26”
My art is intertwined with my life, not as a literal narrative but obliquely, as something deeply felt but mirrored in metaphor and association. It is a struggle to realize the intangible, the personal, the intimate and the deeply felt.
“The Laughing Monk” Oil, 20” x 27”
As I grow older, I find there is a profound richness in all of life, the joy and the love but also the pain and the loss. I find myself marveling in the beauty of the smallest bits of nature I see on my daily walks, insects, twigs, cracks in the sidewalk. It all repays careful examination.
“Woman with Calla Lilies” Pastel, 22” x 26”
Some of these images find their way to my sketchbooks. Drawing is where I explore the visual potential of an image. It is a form of meditation and dialog with myself and is at the very heart of my art.
“For a Few Precious Moments” Pastel, 24” x 30”
Though my work contains recognizable objects—people, animals, insects and flowers—in some cases quite realistically depicted, my desire is that everything in a painting contribute inextricably to the whole.
“Banjo Boy” Pastel, 20” x 35”
This means that each element must be tested so that it works aesthetically as well as resonates emotionally or spiritually.
“Duet” Pastel, 25” x 35”
My paintings usually begin with an inspiration—a color, a pose, an expression. I am often deeply moved by the way the light illuminates an object, the power, the mystery!
“Jazz Man” Pastel, 20” x 27”
From that evocative beginning comes a journey full of risk, uncertainty and restatement. I strive to build the aesthetic architecture combining composition, value, color and edges which anchors the more intangible qualities that emerge in the process of painting.
“Sunday Morning” Pastel, 21” x 29”
I never know how a painting is going to turn out. Each one has its own voice. I have learned to be still and listen to it, without imposing my own ideas of what I “think” it should be. It would be an act against nature to overwhelm this gentle voice.
Artist Ellen Dreibelbis in her studio
Instead I persevere, exploring themes, implications and deeply felt personal intuitions with many restatements till all that is left rings true.
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