Ellen Brook: Bringing Color and Creativity to Walls, Wardrobes & Workplaces

by asmith | Feb 3, 2022 | Art and Fashion

Ellen Brook is an artist and designer bringing color and creativity to walls, wardrobes, and workplaces.  Her works transform outfits as well as states of mind.  These are unique, and often, signature pieces.  Her artistic adventure began at the age of 40 following a career in corporate and non-profit communications.  Ellen maintains an art practice, creates “luxuriously down-to-earth” apparel and interior goods, and hosts workshops.  Her work has been featured in art shows and the media, and modeled on Bay Area runways.  She is also on the Advisory Board at Canada College’s Fashion & Design Department.  Ellen’s website is at https://ellen-brook.com/

Currently On Display.  Ellen now has a number of the hanging artworks at the UCSF China Basin Medical Building lobby, which will be in place, cheering patients and healthcare workers alike, for the next six months.

Existing Portfolio Availability.  Ellen has an existing portfolio of silk works, both in fashion and interior artwork.  In addition to silk, she also works with a variety other “feel-fabulous” fabrics and artistic media.  Much of her work can be found at her studio at Art Bias at 1700 Industrial Road in San Carlos, California.  Her clothing and other artworks are also on sale at Ivy Boutique in San Mateo (55 E. Third Avenue in San Mateo, California) and at its new satellite space in the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Current Focus.  Ellen’s current focus is on both working in mixed media and acrylics and on printing wraps in modal and cashmere based on her paintings.  Over the past few years, she has developed a series of mixed media and acrylics called “Message in a Bottle.”   The theme for “Message in a Bottle” emerged when Ellen’s father passed and she discovered his letters, and her grandfather’s letters, and incorporated aspects of their messages into her work.  The shape of a bottle emerged in one of the first paintings she did with the letters, and since then, she has been exploring the idea of a message in a bottle sent through time. 

This is a whimsical and beautiful series of works and resonates with a lot of people!  She is just finishing a series of these paintings called “Take me out of the blue”, which is based on letters that her grandfather (whom she never met) wrote to her grandmother when he was stationed in Europe in 1919 and feeling terribly lonely.  She’s also creating “mini bottles,” which are paintings sized 6″x 6″ that can be hung singly or in groups.  Ellen is having a great time with these little mini-bottle paintings!  These paintings are very affordable and volume purchases are discounted.  These make great gifts, especially with Valentine’s Day coming up.  

New Workshops and Collaborations in Development.  Ellen is also developing some workshop and collaborative ideas around this theme of a message in a bottle. Using art –whether it’s the experience and process of making it – or the visual itself, helps bring people together and elicit emotions that organizations can use to make connections internally or communicate about their products and/or services.