Elli Sorensen

As long as I can remember: creativity has driven me, it offers me self-expression, an opportunity to learn and a personal retreat all at once.  I’m fascinated with different mediums and over the years have worked in ceramics, textiles, paint, and glass; even a brief experiment in mass production. My production works were offered in resort shops nationwide and original works could be found in private homes as well as National Parks and commercial installations. Thanks to the good fortune of friendships and the opportunity to work alongside a handful of modern masters I have not only been influenced by their skills but also by their passion, dedication and self-discipline.  

The common thread that has guided me through this journey is NATURE. I have lived in the mountain west most of my adult life, and my subjects tend to be reflective of my time out of doors, even while traveling I have continually been influenced by the gifts of the earth at every destination. It is my true north to be in the wilderness, under the water or on a mountain top and those experiences are what fuels my work. 

In my paintings it gives me joy to lay my experience down with intense color and contrast. I want the message to be vivid and I prefer broad strokes that beckon the eye. I want the viewer to experience the vibration of a place. The personality of the wildlife. To see a reflection of themselves and their intense possibility.  I am in a romance with the surface of linen and the creamy flexibility of oil and they are my go to medium for paintings. I love alpine meadows at dawn and colorful reef fish, great horned owls and wildflowers… That is my world and I want it to be yours too. 

Whatever you do …move your art around. Change the light and enjoy it anew. 

Along the way: as a way to give back I created a non-profit a Quilt Donation Project for conservation minded organizations which benefit nature. When I am deeply moved by an organizations mission, I will spontaneously envision the quilts basic design. I then research, create, and donate a completed work which reflects the organizations purpose with the intent of educating the public while fundraising for the organization.