Original Watercolor and Mixed Media Paintings by Ellen Allgaier Fountain, N.W.S.

LANDSCAPES

Over the past four years, I have gradually shifted the focus of my work from studio still lifes to plein air landscapes. Some of these paintings are done completely on-site; some of them are begun on site and then either finished in the studio from my sketches/small color studies or by returning to the site another day. Some are done entirely in the studio, using my small plein air color studies, sketchbook value/composition thumbnails and occasionally, reference photos I took at the site.

In a way, I feel like I have come full circle — landscapes are what I began painting right out of college in the early 1970s. These current works are fresher and looser, not photo dependent, and of course, have thirty plus years of painting practice behind them.

The paintings shown are just a small sample of what I have available. Please contact me for further information about these originals or to arrange a studio visit.
Phone: 520-743-7841 or E-Mail

SOUTHWEST SERIES

I began this series in the mid-1980s, and continue to revisit it when a subject suggests this flatter, more designed approach. The series contains influences from the Pattern and Decoration Movement, and Native American and ancient Egyptian art, particularly their use of simplified and stylized imagery distilled from observed plant and animal life. Native American sand-painting also influences this series, as a grainy texture is one of the hallmarks of the series.

I draw and hand-cut stencils which I use for patterning over washes of color, spattering the paint on over the stencils with a toothbrush. By varying the pigment/water ratio, I can control the spatter, making it coarser or finer as needed. Many of these paintings are mixed media works, as I frequently use watercolor pencils, colored ink and markers, and occasionally collaged elements to add patterning.