Guest Profile

Ellen Brook

I am an intuitive painter. I am drawn to organic lines and shapes, and intense and unusual color combinations that strike a deep, hidden chord with the senses and subconscious mind. My aim is to capture feeling as much as form, in the same way a photographer searches for that instant when an image becomes the perfect expression of a moment in time. This connection with the subconscious gives rise to a dreamscape quality in my work.


Silk is a magical medium. It is an elemental force that drives my creative process the build up of edges that create unexpected patterns, the way that colors drip, spread and blend, and the endless surprises because silk is so absorbent and the dye moves rapidly.


My brushwork is gestural and emphatic, bringing organic forms and unpredictable color expressions to life. Only by taking risks do I encounter the truly magical moments where the whole melds into a harmony that evokes peace, warmth and a dimension removed from the mundane. Each work becomes a current of energy in its own right.


I have developed my own, non-traditional approach to creating form in order to achieve a less predictable, modern feel. My vision is to extend the rich tradition of painting on silk into a vibrant, contemporary art form.


My inspiration comes from a number of places from nature and my own spiritual exploration, to the textures, colors and earthiness of ethnic textiles, or fine crafts like pottery or blown glass. As a textile itself, my artwork can come off the walls and into the living space brightening up a lonely corner, visually separating two rooms, or billowing across a ceiling to soften and anchor the entire space. The effect on the emotional and design-scape can be dramatic.