Go check out Dana Ellyn‘s open studio this weekend. She will have numerous paintings on display, many of them for sale, and will be chatting with folks as well. I have not met Dana in person yet but have had numerous email exchanges with her and look forward to finally making the personal connection.
Her art is fantastic, ranging from social and political commentary to… well, almost all of what’s on her site has some sort of social and political commentary. What separates her art from some other politically motivated pieces is that her work is not completely straightforward. There is a lot to take in and it keeps my attention longer than I think it will.
In addition, Dana is a true master of capturing really interesting facial expressions. The pieces show a range of emotions, usually overdone to prove a point, but not in a way that makes the characters look at all garish or unbelievable. She is very careful, using both realism and irony to comment on current events.
From an email she sent to her loyal following of fans (including me!):
OPEN STUDIO
THIS Saturday August 11th
Noon – 6pm
Drop in, say hello, enjoy some snacks, and see lots of paintings!I’ve just successfully completed my 5th consecutive year of “31 Days in July” paintings…..every July I paint one new painting each day in response to the daily news. After 5 years, I’ve created 155 paintings in the series. You can see the entire series on my site here:
http://www.danaellyn.com/31days.htmlAnd, even better, you can stop by this Saturday to see the yet-to-be-sold pieces in person! In addition to the ’31 Days’ series, I have at least 100 other paintings on the walls and stacked around my studio to keep your eyes busy.
Mather Studios
916 G Street, NW
#304
Washington, DC
202.737.6161
Go check it out. It’s bound to be a good time!
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
