Artist's Statement

Ellen Skidmore was born & raised in Baltimore, Maryland and moved with her family to their farm in Bowen, Kentucky when she was 18. She attended college shortly thereafter & received her BFA in Art Studio.  The beautiful bluegrass & travels abroad were the perfect stimuli for her  early painting endeavors. She sojourned westward & lived in Arizona & then Oregon where the eloquent skies & lofty mountains made a lasting impression on her work. In 2008, Kentucky called her back home where she resides & works in the charming town of Midway with her loyal companions, Clover, Fern, Poppy & Zinnia.

As a stutterer she discovered the non-verbal communication experienced in painting and the affirmation found when being with dogs & horses both incredibly liberating & profoundly grounding. Experiencing the world thru their eyes & ears & noses made everything seem simpler & helped her stay more present. Everyday filled with dogs & horses gave her life structure & levity. Their calming, steady presence has enabled Ellen to focus on painting which has been a true sanctuary.

In 2015, she wrote & illustrated, “Ellen: The Little Girl Who Found Her Voice”, her first children’s book about growing up with a speech impediment. “How Horses Make Me Feel- An Alphabet  Book” followed in 2018.  It is only right then that dogs should be of equal importance; hence, “How Dogs Make Me Feel- An Alphabet Book”.  Ellen’s long-time friend, Beatrice Clay, fellow artist & dog devote, chose the words to go with these illustrations.  

“My dogs have always been with me when I’m painting. They are my little art critics.” she says. “And outside the studio, they are my motley crew of cheerleaders.”