Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellie Harold.
Hi Ellie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a late blooming artist–I started painting (when I was 52) in response to a second calling I received in 2002 while transitioning out of a career as minister of a Unity Church in Atlanta, GA. At the time I wasn’t interested in making art, so I paid attention when over three sleepless nights I heard an insistent inner voice say, “Do Art!” I gathered art materials based on an oil painting class I’d taken 20 years before and, after 6 months of wondering what to do with them, I began to paint. Largely self-taught, I have produced an average of 75-100 paintings a year.
I discovered Michigan when in 2007 I visited a friend who lived in Traverse City. I was smitten with the light and landscape of the area and felt compelled to return to paint and, eventually, to leave Atlanta and move to Frankfort. It happened like this: While on a solo painting trip, I happened upon a derelict Victorian house on picturesque Forest Avenue, just half a block from Frankfort’s Main Street. My husband, who did not see the house until we’d purchased it, spent three years renovating what in 2012 was to become our home. Observing how visitors on a community home tour enjoyed my art, we opened Ellie Harold Art Studio & Gallery to the public in 2013. Each summer we welcome hundreds of art lovers to enjoy the art in the setting where it was created. The commercially successful venture has attracted collectors nationally and internationally. (Two large paintings are currently on loan to the US Embassy in Kyrgystan through the State Department Art in Embassies program as the result of a visit to my Studio & Gallery.)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, the unique way I offer my work has been welcomed and encouraged. My own inhibitions are my greatest challenge.
COVID threatened some logistical challenges to exhibiting BIRDS FLY IN: A Human Refuge (see below); nevertheless, we broke all attendance records at the Oliver Art Center in August, 2020, before vaccines were available. Plans to travel the exhibit, however, seemed thwarted when art venues suffered for lack of funding and other administrative blockades.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
While in the beginning of my time in Michigan I focused on painting lakeshore and dune scenes, I soon expanded to include colorful semi-abstracted barns. In 2016, I experienced a shift from outer references to intuitively painted bird paintings that resulted in the creation of a multimedia humanitarian art installation, “BIRDS FLY IN: A Human Refuge” which enjoyed a record-breaking exhibition at Frankfort’s Oliver Art Center and at the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City and the Ramsdell Center for the Arts in Manistee. I would love to install BIRDS outside of Michigan and keep trying to break through the well-guarded defenses of art institutions.
I continue to focus mostly on my intuitive approach to painting, letting inspiration come from the inside-out. I host retreats and workshops for those who want to give expression to their deepest and most essential art/self. With almost 25 years of art-making experience, I see how my prolific art practice and mentoring have evolved to be the ongoing spiritual fulfillment of my initial calling to ministry. My life and art tend to inspire others–I’m committed to sharing both!
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
If I had a motto for my art life, it would be “To thine own self be true.” I continue to learn to trust my intuition first and foremost. When I try to figure out what will be pleasing to others, I tend to sacrifice the integrity of my art-making. Commissioned work is challenging in that regard!
The same holds true for the business side of things. I market according to what seems to be the next right thing to do which doesn’t always conform to expectations. For example, I have found that although I have been represented by galleries (I am currently represented by Synchronicity Gallery in Glen Arbor, MI), sharing my work via my home-based Studio & Gallery is more rewarding. Not only do I sell better there but it is also far more satisfying to work directly with my collectors, understanding their needs and seeing if/how I can assist.
Engaging a potential audience is vital. I’ve learned how important it is to have a comprehensive website to showcase my work and activities. I love being able to share my art in this way. My blog invites readers to get to know me better and to understand my process.
I make it a practice to say Yes when there’s an opportunity to share my story. An unexpected knock on my door last August yielded a YouTube video (see screenshot image) just ticked over 150K views.
Keep on sharing, no matter what! Early on I learned the importance of daily painting which I do more or less faithfully even when traveling. I enjoy doing “demos” and in good weather you’ll find the doors to my summer studio (garage) open, inviting you to watch me paint.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.EllieHarold.com
- Instagram: @ellieharoldmichigan
- Facebook: Ellie Harold (Artist)
- Youtube: @ellieharold2137
