Susan Ellis – The Artwork of Clamming


Each time a pastel portray by Susan Ellis pops up on social media, it stops my scrolling. I’m at all times struck by the dynamic shapes, the sturdy worth sample, the centered consideration on her topic, and her color decisions. And, I’ll admit that I’m keen on work with figures and their narratives. So I’m delighted to have Susan Ellis right here as a visitor to share her expertise and course of!

Earlier than we get to Susan’s phrases, first a bit about her.

BIO for Susan Ellis

Susan Ellis grew up in Massachusetts and moved to the Washington D. C. in 1985 to boost her household. Susan enrolled in a self-paced artwork training on the Artwork League of Alexandria, Virginia and credit the instructors there with instructing her pastel portray together with a really complete artwork training. In 2015 she moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts and immediately fell in love with its coastal panorama and particularly the native clamming group. You’ll be able to see extra of her work right here.

And now, right here’s Susan!

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My curiosity in depicting the native clammers is born of a confluence of my love of determine drawing and my fascination with the clammers’ highly effective narrative. 

For an artist, Ipswich in Massachusetts has all of it –  lovely coastal vistas, seashores, rocky cliffs, marshes, and vibrant sunrises and sunsets. Within the midst of this lovely pure setting, you possibly can usually observe native clammers bent over within the muck, digging clams together with his or her clamming fork and bucket. The standard work of clamming is bodily demanding and normally solitary.

Susan Ellis, True Grit, 2020, soft pastels on UART 400, 21 x 14 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, True Grit, 2020, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 21 x 14 in. Bought.

Folks have been digging for clams for the reason that daybreak of time. I witness each industrial clammers and locals every day. Brave vacationers will be seen often making an attempt their hand at this arduous exercise.

So why do I paint clammers?

Mainly, portray clammers is my actuality. I see them as I drive or stroll by way of my neighbourhood. I’m so lucky to stay in a stupendous oceanside group and watching the clammers work makes all of the seascape magnificence really feel actual to me. All of us love a stupendous sundown or dawn however watching people within the panorama making an attempt to make a residing or benefitting from this bounty speaks to me. 

The timeless story of man (or girl) vs nature by no means will get previous. I like the narrative of the solitary individual pacing on the seashore. Watching the (principally) males working alongside different males as they get into their boats and organise their gear, discussing the climate situations and particular challenges of their shared work, by no means ceases to thrill me. They help one another on this very previous custom even in in the present day’s trendy world. Many of those clammers have been working alongside one another and their households for generations.

Susan Ellis The Boys are Back, 2020, soft pastels on UART 400, 15 x 13 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, The Boys are Again, 2020, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 15 x 13 in. Bought.

From a figurative artist’s perspective, the clammers, bending on the waist, reaching, pulling, and stretching, present me with a vast provide of fabulous compositions. When you think about these compelling human compositions in a panorama of such magnificence, inspiration comes simply!

My course of

As a result of a moist sandy seashore isn’t any place for pastels, I typically develop compositions and work from my pictures. I take lots of of images of anybody clammer at a time. 

When photographing, I search for great shapes and an fascinating narrative. The form of the clammer, bending over, is mainly a triangle which makes a really steady design factor. I search for panorama shapes that accompany that triangle. I’m additionally drawn to the visible effort of a clammer – pulling, pushing, digging, or wiping their forehead. 

Susan Ellis, Autumn Light, 2020, soft pastels on UART 400, 14 x 26 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Autumn Gentle, 2020, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 14 x 26 in. Bought

Lastly, I usually discover myself drawn to an unusually colored shirt or hat. It’s at all times enjoyable to distinction the nice and cozy highlights and funky shadows of a white shirt within the sunshine after which add jet brown and black moist mud splatters or sweat spots. I thrill once I spy a clammer coated in gray or brown overalls, sweatshirt, boots, gloves after which I see a vibrant pink ear peeking out from below the brown cap. A small indication of heat human life in all of the uninteresting brown. The distinction is each thrilling and actual.

After I return to my studio, I examine and search the picture group for any photos I discover inspiring. I search for the lighting, composition, narrative, or any fascinating element, reminiscent of seabirds, descriptive clothes, or angle. 

Susan Ellis, North Shore Gothic, 2024, soft pastels on Pastelmat, 16 x 11 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, North Shore Gothic, 2024, comfortable pastels on Pastelmat, 16 x 11 in. Bought

The subsequent section is to have enjoyable manipulating the images on my iPad utilizing the Procreate app. I like altering the composition by cropping, altering the orientation, or recolouring the picture. Something goes at this level. 

As soon as I’ve a superb plan, I redraw the picture in my sketchbook. It’s right here that I hope to seize my private voice and never solely depend on the {photograph} for temper and narrative.

Susan Ellis, Sketches for paintings hanging on my studio wall, 2019-2024, graphite and drawing paper.
Susan Ellis, Sketches for work hanging on my studio wall, 2019-2024, graphite and drawing paper.

My subsequent section is to attract the determine on good drawing paper the precise measurement of the completed portray. Right here I make use of the “envelope methodology” of drawing by recreating the determine utilizing graphite pencil and a ruler. I’m breaking down the determine into main shapes and angles. I discovered this methodology from the numerous classical determine drawing lessons I’ve taken. Typically I’ll create a easy worth plan on prime of this drawing, once more with daring main shapes. I really feel this retains my figures easy and true.  

As soon as I’m happy with the drawing, I switch it to my pastel paper. I take advantage of graphic switch paper on prime of my PastelMat. I discover the PastelMat paper has a extremely nice texture for my work. I’ve additionally labored with UART sanded 400 grit paper.

Susan Ellis, Yellow Bag, 2024, soft pastels on Pastelmat, 17 x 20 in.
Susan Ellis, Yellow Bag, 2024, comfortable pastels on Pastelmat, 17 x 20 in.

The subsequent section is the underpainting section. 

With gouache, I paint on the road drawing. I like the liberty gouache paint gives. It helps arrange a strong design-based underpainting the place I can deal with massive shapes. An opaque medium, it dries rapidly and washes up simply with water. 

I combine massive vibrant puddles of color on my aspect desk/palette which I then apply to the pastel paper with massive watercolour brushes. I usually select a complementary color underpainting but in addition love selecting one color that I really feel will harmonise with my meant color scheme. If I really feel I would like some texture, I swish analogous colors of gouache on my palette and casually paint on the paper, permitting drips and areas of uneven color. I’ve even used a palette knife to scrape and transfer the gouache round. Typically, I will be discovered placing the moist underpainting exterior within the solar to shorten the drying time.

Susan Ellis, Clammer in Magenta, 2023, soft pastels on Pastelmat, 19 x 14 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Clammer in Magenta, 2023, comfortable pastels on Pastelmat, 19 x 14 in. Bought

I take advantage of many alternative color schemes. Most frequently, a complementary color scheme works very properly. As a result of so a lot of my work are of coastal scenes which include blues and gray, I usually use an orange/crimson gouache underpainting to heat up and help all of the native cool colors. Nonetheless, that is additionally the section the place an uncommon or a number of color scheme can actually add spice to the ultimate pastel portray. I’ve discovered that when working with moist and messy gouache, I’m in a position to introduce spots of spontaneous color and texture that improve the portray, particularly within the foreground. 

Lastly, I open up my pastel trays and paint with pastels. 

I start by portray the biggest shapes first, at all times conserving in thoughts values. Most frequently, I like to begin with the sky as I discover all the colors should embody and work with the sunshine within the sky. 

Susan Ellis, Morning on the Plashy Bank, 2021, soft pastels on UART 400, 15 x 15 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Morning on the Plashy Financial institution, 2021, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 15 x 15 in. Bought

Relying on the time of day and time of yr, the sunshine modifications dramatically. The human determine virtually at all times calls for to be the focus, so I have a tendency to color the determine with probably the most element and hold the setting easy and extra summary. I take advantage of quite a lot of pastels from Terry Ludwig, Girault, Jack Richeson, Unison Color, and Sennelier. I like all of them and I don’t spend any time fascinated with which model I take advantage of at any given time. 

Lastly, ending the pastel portray could be a difficult determination. When is it completed? How rather more element do I would like? I’m unsure I ever will know the reply. I’ve at all times saved in thoughts the recommendation to cease if you suppose you’ve gotten painted/acknowledged your intent and no extra. Laborious however nice recommendation I believe.

Susan Ellis, Lookout, ?, soft pastels on UART 400, 18 x 14 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Lookout, 2021, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 18 x 14 in. Bought

Many have famous that there’s an summary high quality to my work. It’s positively the inspiration for my compositions. I wish to enhance the summary high quality much more sooner or later. I do know that my work generally suffers from an excessive amount of element and I’m starting to see that working repeatedly with this one topic could enable me to begin to economise with my particulars and hopefully get to a degree the place I can say much more with much less. 

Susan Ellis, Morning Fog on the Flats, 2019, soft pastels on UART 400, 12 x 17 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Morning Fog on the Flats, 2019, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 12 x 17 in. Bought

I received’t lie, portray figures in a panorama is certainly a continuing problem. Portray from images can usually produce a “pasted-on” impact. To fight this, I attempt to spend outing on the seashore or mud flats observing the situations and lightweight and learning how they have an effect on the determine. A powerful directional gentle at all times helps. 

I always remind myself that the determine is a strong 3D object and I’ve to look very exhausting to see how the sunshine washes over the determine each from prime to backside and throughout. I additionally notice how the color of the sunshine infuses each the determine and panorama. Definitely, drawing from life is essential and useful even when I’m not doing it on the seashore.

Susan Ellis, Winter Chill, 2024, soft pastels on Pastelmat, 21 x 18 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Winter Chill, 2024, comfortable pastels on Pastelmat, 21 x 18 in. Bought

I do really feel I’ve much more to say and discover with the clammer narrative. It’s an ongoing and timeless topic. Folks have been clamming for generations and I see previous, younger, male, and feminine clammers. I don’t understand how local weather change will have an effect on the clamming in our space. Will it proceed or lastly section out if the clam beds erode? I’m additionally wanting ahead to portray individuals who fish or who harvest lobsters – each very important and customary actions on this space.

Susan Ellis, Winter Tide, 2020, soft pastels on UART 400, 19 x 21 in. Sold
Susan Ellis, Winter Tide, 2020, comfortable pastels on UART 400, 19 x 21 in. Bought

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WOW! One of many essential issues that strikes me as I view Susan Ellis’s work is her unwavering deal with utilizing clammers as her ongoing topic. By doing so, she creates a deep understanding of those figures at work, the shapes they type, and their setting. She elevates the arduous work of clamming into the realm of artwork.

I’d love to listen to your reactions to this visitor submit by Susan Ellis. And I’m certain she’d like to know your ideas and questions so do make sure to go away them as feedback!

Till subsequent time!

~ Gail

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