Ellen draws inspiration for her paintings from her farm experiences, hometown, and travels. She enjoys painting animals, flowers, and architecture. Her paintings come alive through the comparisons she makes between colors, shapes, and spatial relationships. Her interest lies in the relationships between her subjects and the space they are in and how the shapes touch each other. She does not go for perfection–if she finds humor she tries to share that, otherwise, she prefers to show the beauty of these differences.