The Surprise of The Present

Ellen Dieter splits her time between San Diego, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. “Living between San Diego and Honolulu, I am always practicing being where I am. Life and art are a journey, contemplating and discovering relationships, going deeper, skimming the surface, there are so many aspects and possibilities of adding to and taking away. We are all connected in some way and I tend to push and pull, battle with the senses and the formats until a place of happy angst is found. A place where I can say, ok, yes. The work/life evolves organically with constant intent combined with reckless abandon. The push/pull of life….”

After studying at The Cooper School of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Art, Dieter lived and studied in Europe for about 10 years. From Joan Mitchell, Kandinsky, and Georgia O’Keefe to Diebenkorn and other abstract expressionists, Dieter was inspired and learned something from all. In 2007, due to health concerns, Dieter left her day job, but quickly found the silver lining in her newfound time to create. It was in this space that Dieter embraced inspiration from both the world that surrounded her and her inner world. She put the two together to create a new personal view. In both her abstract and figurative pieces, viewers enjoy spectacular illustrations of balance, composition, light, color, movement and feeling. Her diverse and dynamic portfolio explores the highs and lows of the human experience in a clear expression of what it means to be alive.

Dieter wants to spark a joyful conversation among viewers. “Sometimes in painting I want to evoke a little discomfort, but mostly my work really is just about the joy of life. There are a couple exceptions that may conjure a sadness in some. But that is life. It isn’t one sided.”

Dieter’s work hangs in public and private collections worldwide. Ellen was selected as a Featured Artist (10 out of 350 artists) for the Mission Federal ArtWalk 2015. Adelman Fine Art represents Ellen Dieter in San Diego, California.

Education
Cooper School of Art, Cleveland Institute of Art, Les Arts Appliques a Paris.