Ellen is an artist, designer, and museum geek based in Guildford, working in London. Her practice is shaped by both my professional experience working in museums and galleries, and her academic background studying Fine Art at the Glasgow School of Art and Lancaster University.

Working across a range of disciplines including painting, textile/fibre arts, and upholstery, she explores the richness of everyday life through material and process. She is particularly drawn to moments that might otherwise go unnoticed; fleeting interactions, habitual gestures, and the quiet rhythms of daily routines. Encounters during my commute often inspire my work, where she observes characters and behaviours that reflect the subtle complexity of human experience.

At the heart of Ellen’s practice is a fascination with people: how we present ourselves, how were late to one another, and how meaning is constructed through seemingly ordinary moments. Her aim is to elevate the mundane, inviting closer attention to what might initially appear banal. This exhibition focuses primarily on her watercolour work. Often underestimated, watercolour is an expressive and unpredictable medium. She is drawn to its fluidity and its capacity for layering, allowing me to build depth, texture, and atmosphere while embracing elements of chance and spontaneity.

Last year Ellen entered the Guildford Festival of the Arts Open Call and was delighted to be accepted and later voted as the public’s favourite with my work ‘100 Days of Lockdown’.