The Artist's Background

Whether observing a group dining in a restaurant or looking at native handmade items in a remote jungle where shelter is only an open-sided hut with thatched roof, Ellert enjoys all life’s experiences and transforms their richness into art that expresses both the joys and disparities of life.

Ellert’s early years were spent in a multi-language and multicultural home. Each family member worked hard and at jobs that required long hours, but there always was time for imagination to fuel creativity. Ellert says, "I was surrounded by music, art, and architecture and because we were an immigrant family, therefore a bit different from the all American households, I became fascinated by other cultures and ways of living. The inequities in life disturb me, yet this disturbance informs my work."

Most of Ellert’s art education occurred in Southern California at the Watts Atlelier, San Diego/Encinitas, The Athenaeum, La Jolla, Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges and various workshops and private instruction.

Ellert’s images are realistic, but the context can be quite puzzling. The artist prefers that the viewer make his own interpretation of the paintings. Ellert says, "It is fascinating how each person brings his own life’s experiences into viewing my art."