Ellie Hesse – Pura Vida (Costa Rica)

Ellie Hesse was born in New York in 1972 and then spent most of her childhood in the Yorkshire Dales.

Travel has always been an important aspect in her life. She has explored Asia and South America, as well as living and working in a number of different European countries. These include the UK, France, Germany and, more recently, Italy.

These experiences continue to inspire and nourish her creative process.

Entirely self-taught, Ellie is mainly known for her vibrantly coloured townscapes. In recent years though, she has gone on to develop her art to include more figurative work, focusing on the horse in particular..

Ellie uses a variety of different media and techniques, depending on the subject matter.

The palette knife is her tool of preference. and she uses it to build up layers of texture and depth of colour in her townscapes.

Her equine work, conversely, demands a freer hand as she seeks to capture the horse’s natural form and movement. Ellie uses charcoal and more fluid paints for this work..

By working intermittently on two very different subjects, Ellie has found that the two approaches seem to cross-pollinate. The looser drawing style of the equine work, feeding into the more structural work of townscapes. This brings new vitality into her painting style as well as composition, with the introduction of figures and animals.

Ellie is able to use the creative tension that arises from contrasting solid, architectural forms with the fluidity of a natural and dynamic subject. She finds that it creates a certain energy, which keeps the painting process always fresh and exciting.