For more about the artist, visit her webpage at www.eweissart.com or her Blog.

Although Ellyn Weiss's works are abstract, they seem somehow familiar to us. Dense layers of bold colors in overlapping abstract shapes seem to morph into recognizable forms and then quickly fade back into abstraction as our eyes scan the works. They are like looking at clouds. They evade our attempts at specific interpretation. At the right moment and from the right angle, we spot something definite, only to have the object disappear with a shift in time or perspective.

Ellyn's compositions generally do not start as drawings. The artist frequently begins with handwriting on paper, sometimes legible, sometimes freeform, that reflects her perception of the world around her at the moment. She then begins to draw, using the handwriting as a guide. Subsequent layers of drawing and writing obscure earlier layers, which reveal themselves at moments like a palimpsest. The numerous layers of mixed pastels and oil stick create works of uncommon depth. Time and space are collapsed.

Weiss most admires artwork that communicates directly with the viewer, without the need for rigid interpretation. Perhaps this explains our own difficulty in interpreting her work. It is meant to be somewhat inscrutable. It conveys emotion without the encumbrance of particular meaning. It bypasses the brain and speaks straight to our hearts.

Weiss received a BA from Smith College and a JD from Boston University School of Law. She studied at the Corcoran School in Washington DC and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA. She resides in Bethesda, MD. She has participated in both solo and group exhibitions in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky. Among other honors, Weiss was awarded the Special Purchase Award by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities in both 1999 and 2003.