Sue Ellibee

In my collage work, I use the elements of color, texture and shape to design a version of nature. This artistic direction has given me an opportunity to use my visual skills in a new way to interpret and simplify the natural landscape.

I paint papers and create textures on recycled grocery-store bags. I hand-cut the papers to give the piece a more handcrafted feel, then assemble them on the board.

It’s the details that count. The colors and textures. The seasons. How things change. How both the artwork and I change and evolve.

My work can be described as modern folk art. I love that. My work has a craftsman feel to it with the pieces of cut kraft paper and the use of raw materials. Even the frames are handcrafted by an artisan in unfinished wood.

I explore my surroundings and I try to show the narrative from my point of view. What I create is not a replication of what is there, but how I see things in shapes and colors.