Check out Ianna Ellis’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ianna Ellis.

Ianna, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My story started here in Phoenix just before the 90s ended so I lucked out there. Not long after I moved to Indiana, where my mother was raised, and my family still lived, I spent most of my life there. I was in 4-H for years, which gave me the opportunity to do things like basket weaving, pottery, sewing, cake decorating, photography, pretty much anything that allowed me to use my hands. I spent a lot of time on farms, so I have a unique love for the countryside. I had an amazingly diverse family that taught me how to be loving and kinds towards others, which is one of the most important parts of who I am today. At the age of 15, I moved back here to Phoenix; I believe that’s when I truly started flourishing & discovering myself. I was fortunate to have family members who fully supported my self-expression and facilitated a lot of my growth artistically. However, I didn’t start to truly appreciate my talents until late in high school, I used to think art “wasn’t enough,” but it turned out to be all I had & all I would ever need. I had a teacher in 11th grade, Mrs. Davenport, who completely changed my life if I am being honest. She gave me a space to create things I didn’t know I was capable of; she used to just give me supplies because she knew I couldn’t afford my own. I used to skip class to stay in her room for 6 hours a day, just painting. It was then that I realized I would spend the rest of my life feeding that part of my soul. I now have no doubts that this is my future, Art, of all forms, is OUR future really.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I feel limitless as to what I CAN do, just because I feel we are all capable of everything we set our minds to. Right now, my mind is set on multimedia art, but recently I’ve further explored music and songwriting, clothing design, and I would like to start working on photography this year. My art is meant to feel like communication, not in the traditional sense; it’s just supposed to transcend the basic feelings we all identify with and are able to understand and touch the parts of us we didn’t know existed. Whether that be with the use of certain colors, or the types of women and faces I draw, even down to the single tear, I put in a lot of my work. When you see it, it sparks something in you that you may not understand but you can feel, we all can feel it. I like art that is surprising, and every time you look at it you see a new detail or a different texture, that’s the kind of art that’s always really captured my attention & he kind of art I want to make. Music plays a huge part in my artistic process as well; I’ll listen to songs and think of entire pieces in less than 4 mins. That’s how Wicked Games & Slime Szn were created. That’s usually my first step; another step in my process is sun exposure. I believe that my art can capture energy, what I’m feeling when I’m painting can be carried and released within the piece, so I give each piece time to cleanse in the sun before I gloss them. That’s very important to me also. My art is how I speak without talking; it’s how I show people who I am or who I want to be because I’ve never felt truly capable of doing so accurately. I hope when people see it, they see hope, beauty, and love, especially. But I also hope they see limitless potential in me and even more so in themselves. I’ve never had any formal teaching outside of high school; I’ve taught myself everything I know, and I hope people know they can do it too.

What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Honestly, I wish I had seen the potential I had earlier on, and I wish I never compared myself to others. If you know, you’re passionate but don’t feel you’re good or vise verse, just push yourself to explore your abilities until they are exhausted. You’ll lose nothing in that process. I think a lot of people have convinced us that to be an artist you have to starve, but I think with help from a community we all can eat. Art is timeless, which makes what we do and what we love never ending. Don’t let doubt or the idea its “unconventional “hold you back. Don’t try to fit into a box or make what you think people want. Make your art your therapy and grow with it. It’ll never leave you, and it’ll never disappoint you.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I just recently launched a website for individual season releases, iannaellis.com. I have an Instagram solely for my work, (ianna.ellisofficial) and then my older art from high school is at (i.e_art,) I think that one shows a lot of progression to current day pieces. I offer commissions with free shipping, prints and originals are also available at a made to order rate. A full portfolio is on its way, along with some new seasons on the website. Also, my mom’s Facebook page holds some gems lol.

For commissions or inquiries, email me at Ianna.ellis624@gmail.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: iannaellis.com
• Email: ianna.ellis624@gmail.com
• Instagram: Ianna.ellisofficial
• Facebook: Ianna Ellis

Image Credit:
Shyra D
Emma G
Johnte D

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