Totem Painting

Ellen Shire is a New York artist whose painting career melds the artistic history of the city of her birth with the historical richness of Europe. Ms. Shire, the daughter of an original Martha Graham dancer (and painter) and a founding member of the Manhattan String Quartet, was herself a member of the New York City Ballet under the direction of George Ballanchine. She also found parallel success as the writer and illustrator of more than seven children's books - one of which was a finalist for a National Book Award. After her tenure with the NYCB, Ms. Shire divided her time between New York, Greece and Paris. Since 1980, Ms. Shire has concentrated entirely on the development of her painting. She says: "There is a thread which runs through my life connecting all the events and professions I have pursued: Dance, music and writing were all strands that fused into the whole which for me is abstract painting. "As painting became the focus of my life, artists such as the 17th century Dutch masters, Morandi, Rothko and my mother were paramount in shaping my vision. "I work primarily with a limited number of mediums: Oil on canvas, acrylic, gouache and encaustic. I often combine these mediums, when appropriate and necessary to express my vision. Texture, too, plays an important part in my work. "I layer paint on paint, as was done so exceptionally in the 17th century, in order to achieve the most subtle transitions of color and light. In this way, my work grows slowly from beneath the surface to the top rather than superficially from the top down. This produces a veracity and depth that cannot be achieved in any other way."