A Good Home

By Rebekah Powers | October 2024

Michael Ellison is first and foremost a man who paints. Once created, his mission is to find his paintings a “good home with someone who appreciates them”. Chimayo Trading presents Michael Ellison, a relatively new painter in town with a different way of seeing and thinking about art.

“Embudo Holdings”, Acrylic on canvas, 24” x 36”

In the painting, ”Embudo Holdings” the spark was the contrast between the grandeur and immensity of the mountains with the hard scrabble life below. The tractor in the painting was his tractor, and we see it from underneath because that was how Michael saw it in long hours of working to repair it. The paintings of Michael Ellison invite the viewer to enter his mildly autobiographical mindscapes.

A Week In Taos Series Day #1 “Late Arrival @ Bates AirBnB”, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 16”

A new arrival at the gallery is Ellison’s captivating new series titled “One Week in Taos” consisting of 7 paintings of the same scene that illustrate the drastic shifts of weather in northern New Mexico: a study of color, light and mood with relatable narrative elements that only Ellison can deliver.

A Week In Taos Series Day #2 “Fellow Tourists Bring Walking Rain”, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 16”

Michael moved from his remote property in Oklahoma to Taos 5 years ago after studying the Taos Society of Artists, particularly Ernest Blumenschein with whom he feels a strong affinity. The history of the art colony, the majesty of the remote landscape and the rugged individualism of Taos all appealed to Ellison, eventuating his move.

A Week In Taos Series Day #3 “#@!%! Tourists!”, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 16”

Growing up in Oklahoma, Michael was fascinated with the simplified landscape backdrops in animation, especially of the west. His father was a rancher and his mother was a successful commercial illustrator. When he was in high school and told his mother he wanted to become an artist, she tried to discourage him, well aware of the difficulties he would face. But instead, her caution became the catalyst that drove him to continue and surpass her expectations. Eventually, his parents would realize Michael’s deep commitment and creative talent, taking pride in his milestones and achievements.

A Week In Taos Series Day #4 “No Idea That Taos Is A Ski Resort”, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 16”

A Masters in Art and Painting at the University of Tulsa, plus decades of exploration have resulted in a direct expressive style in both watercolor and oils. Described as having “the best, most consistent work…evidenced by the strength of his images, the muted, earthy colors, and the clever exploitation of the regionalist styles of Grant Wood or Alexander Hogue put to unsettling ends.” I would add that it is his mastery of composition renders his work so compelling, pulling you into a place from the inner reaches of his mind that you didn’t know existed, where intensity pulses just below the surface.

A Week In Taos Series Day #5 “A Dry Heat”, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 16”

He uses no photos, nor does he paint on location. For Michael Ellison, every tree, figure, truck or anvil comes from his imagination, which he feeds with exploratory drive abouts, through mountain and vale, observing the moment, in the flow of experience. Later, in his studio. Ellison pulls from his memory, dreams and fantasy to manifest the spark of an idea that has taken hold of him.

A Week In Taos Series Day #6 “Lost Two Hats & An Easel”, Acrylic on canvas, 12” x 16”

Since moving to Taos, Michael won friends and a few hearts when he adopted Mia, the longest canine resident at the Stray Hearts animal shelter. A man who paints, rescues dogs, and writes, Ellison has set himself apart from all others. Take a moment to enjoy the intriguing paintings of Michael Ellison. They couldn’t have found a better home than Chimayo Trading or perhaps, in a special spot in your collection.

A Week In Taos Series Day #7 “Departure, Beautiful Weather”, Acrylic on board, 12” x 16”

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#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

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