By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to feature the first of two 12-piece exhibitions of works by American painter 

Ellie Moniz (born 1977 in Philadelphia, PA).

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Ellie Moniz is a watercolor artist in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her love for the medium began twenty-three years ago, when she took her first (and only) watercolor class in college. Out of all of the fine art media she was exploring at that time as part of her degree, Ellie chose to focus on watercolor out of necessity. It fit into her limited budget and she didn’t need a lot of space to paint – a small corner of her dorm room was just fine.

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Over the years, ‘necessity’ turned into an absolute love affair with watercolor. To this day, she continues to learn new techniques with every painting. One of the characteristics that excites Ellie the most about watercolor is never being 100% certain how and where the paint will settle on the paper. She finds the interaction between the water and the paint mesmerizing. It’s a medium that has a mind of it’s own.  With a lot of practice, Ellie has learned to control her tools to an extent, but the end result of a painting is always a surprise. 

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Drawing and painting have always been a big part of Ellie’s life. It’s how she makes sense of the world around her. There is a story to each of her paintings, even if it’s a house portrait for a customer Ellie doesn’t know – then she makes up a story in her mind about the customer’s lives and who might be looking in and out of each of the windows she is painting.

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Ellie has so many artistic influences. She is completely enamored by the work of contemporary artists like Dean Mitchell and Mary Whyte. Growing up in Pennsylvania with a passion for watercolor, Ellie also can’t help but to be hugely influenced by Andrew Wyeth.

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Ellie sells her original paintings and prints at several fine art festivals throughout the year. A schedule of upcoming shows can be found on her website.
 

Education

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-Millersville University: Bachelor of Arts; concentration in painting and drawing 1999

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Juried Shows and Awards

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- Chestnut Hill Fall for the Arts 2017: First Place in Watercolor

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- Rittenhouse Square 90th Juried Fine Art Show 2017 (invitation)

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- Abington Hospital Art in the Atrium 2017: “Leaving Vineyard Haven,” First Place in Hanging Arts

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- Chestnut Hill Fall for the Arts 2016: First Place in Watercolor

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- Jenkintown Festival of the Arts 2016: First Place in Painting

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- Rittenhouse Square 89th Juried Fine Art Show 2016 (invitation)

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- Philadelphia Watercolor Society International Juried Art Exhibition 2015: “Two Wood Doors” (invitation)

- Jenkintown Festival of the Arts 2015: First Place in Painting

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- Manayunk-Roxborough Art Center Annual Show 2015: “Two Wood Doors,”  Honorable Mention

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- Abington Hospital Art in the Atrium 2015: “Two Wood Doors,” Best in Show

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- Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce Art Exhibition 2015: “Creek and Terwood,” Second Place

 

Teaching Experience

 

- Pennypack Restoration Trust: 6-week watercolor workshops “Tips and Tricks for a Successful Watercolor”

 

Professional Memberships

 

- Philadelphia Watercolor Society