‘The gentle giant’ Painting

“My name is Ellie Dean, and I’m a self taught contemporary artist based in Hertfordshire, England. I’ve always loved drawing ever since I was young. I started out with graphite pencils, then I moved onto coloured pencils, and now I work in oil and acrylic paints. I’ve been painting seriously for the last four years. Painting has really helped me get through some difficult times with my health. My works include a variety of different mediums such as acrylic, oil, gold leaf and textured pastes. I’m always excited to try and experiment with new materials and techniques. I’m inspired by people and animals as I love to capture a key moment, mood or emotion. My art has slowly developed into a combination of Abstact and realism art, which create an interesting and unique mix.” In most of Ellie’s portrait paintings, parts of the face are hidden, which adds a sense of mystery and story. This links to Ellie, as she has had a hard and challenging journey in her life, since having a life changing injury. She has dealt with a lot of emotions that she has sometimes concealed from others, much like her portraits that are partly covered. In the past she has hidden herself away because of her disability. The revealed parts of her paintings are a reminder to herself and others to push through challenges and to be more confident and kind to themselves. She hopes when people view her works they feel inspired.