Ellen Leidl Fine Art/Paintings in Oil the paintings || home || graphic design || to contact || photography || studio montana Into the Storm/Oil on Canvas Introduction The work you will see here is an extension, like all creative expression, of my interpretation of the environment that surrounds me. It is at times a hostile and lonely environment, at times a serene and peaceful one, but it is always a beautiful one. In its loneliness, strange beauty and isolation, it mirrors a part of us all. This is my artist's statement and is the closest I've been able to come to summarize in words my feeling about Montana. My paintings speak more eloquently than I do about the relationship between ourselves and our environment. In our darkest moments we can find strength and understanding in the land and sky, and at our most joyous, reflections of those feelings in that constant but ever changing landscape. Mood, light, strength, serenity and power, all those things that are a part of the best of us and our heritage as human beings, are reflected in our world; hence the great need for us to focus our awareness on this most important world of ours, and respect, protect and nourish it, never losing sight for a moment, or evertaking for granted the power and beauty it gives our everyday lives.The very harshness of this environment (Montana) has been its salvation. Like the Northwest Territories in Canada, the hostility of the land to man has allowed its natural denizens to roam and flourish unmolested by man's "improvements." Here nature weighs in with her own checks and balances. As a resident of Montana for six years I was initially amazed and gratified at the relative lack of man's imprint; already I see changes and their consequences. We cannot stop our expansion on this planet, but we can, through our own individual and group efforts, bring awareness, education and hence enlightenment to the relationship between ourselves and our world, the fragility and beauty of that world and our deep obligation to strive and to protect not only it and its natural occupants, but by doing so protect ourselves and future generations. A world without wide open spaces is a world empty for man's greatest inspirations and insights. Ellen Leidl March 9, 2001 All images copyright Ellen Leidl ©1998 About the Paintings Each painting is comprised of at least six separate layers of paint. Done so to build up the desired depth, luminosity of colour and image, and to allow for subtlety of hue and light. This is a time consuming process as each separate layer must be fully dried before the next is applied. Some canvases can take up to a month or more to complete.

About Myself A NATIVE OF CANADA, I grew up on both coasts, being fortunate to experience the many contrasts between the eastern shores of Nova Scotia and the rain forests of British Columbia, my home province. One of nine children, all of whom work in the creative arts, I was motivated partly by a need to find an individual expression for my own creativity and partly by the necessity to seek a practical outlet in terms of making a good living. The result was a successful 15-year career in commercial graphic arts, capped by four years working as a senior (and award-winning) graphic designer in the earth observation/aerospace industry. see graphic design Old Woman /Oil on Canvas First Comes the Wind/Oil on Panel   In late 1994, I was given an opportunity to forgo commercial art and face an even bigger challenge: relocating to a new country and devoting myself full time to a dream yet unrealized, exploring expression through painting in oils. I married an American and moved to Montana, where I found myself in the middle of a vast landscape dominated by the sky and bordered by mountains and prairie. Soon the focus of my art turned to this very strong, subtly evocative environment. I have always been deeply influenced by the natural beauty encountered in my life, much of it desolate and inhospitable. From the remoteness of the Canadian north, to the diverse and spectacular coastlines of Canada, and now in Montana where the light and mood of the landscape is constantly changing: I hope these paintings "My Back Yard" reflect those changes in all their diversity and mystery. Welcome to my website. May a little of Montana's beauty stay with you. Ellen || the paintings || home || graphic design || to contact || photography Group Exhibits: Holter Museum of Art/Winter Showcase 2003/Nov. - Dec. Solo Exhibits: Secretary of State for Montana / State Capital Building, Helena, MT. State Auditor of Montana / Mitchell Building, Helena, MT. Helena Chamber of Commerce / Helena, MT. Studio Montana / Bellevue, Washington Valley Bank, Main Branch/ Helena, MT.