Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea
Mixed Media Paintings Created by Ellen Guyer at Kentucky Artisan Center

On Saturday, October 6, Ellen Guyer of Lexington will demonstrate how she creates her unique mixed-media gouache and colored pencil paintings from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.

A native New Yorker, Ellen Guyer was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. Even as a young child she showed an interest in creative activities and materials were always available. It was not a surprise that when she went to Ohio University she majored in visual arts.

In 1975 Ellen moved to Lexington, Kentucky where she enrolled at the University of Kentucky and finished her undergraduate degree and then went on to receive her MFA in fine art. Ellen also obtained her certification in art education and taught school for over 10 years. When in the classroom, Ellen discovered she could incorporate drawing into her teaching and as the years went by as she found it more and more difficult to balance teaching with her art, she left the classroom to work as a full time artist.

Ellen chose painting rather than printmaking because the methods were more immediate. Her love of bright color caused her to turn to gouache - a type of paint consisting of pigment suspended in water – but different from watercolor in that the particles are larger and the ratio of pigment to water is higher. Gouache also has white chalk pigment to make it more opaque with greater reflective qualities. Ellen adds more color with Prisma-Color pencils in her mixed media paintings. She has also developed a line of colorful note cards from her larger works.

Ellen is a juried member of the Visual Arts component of Kentucky Craft Marketing and exhibits regionally, selling her work through galleries throughout the region including the Kentucky Artisan Center, located just off Interstate 75 at exit 77 (Berea). The Center’s exhibits, shopping, and travel information areas are all open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the café from 8 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission is free. The Center currently features works by more than 650 artisans from 90 counties across the Commonwealth. For more information call 859-985-5448 or visit the Center’s web site at www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov  

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is an agency in the Commerce Cabinet.