Artist Ellen Rice’s series celebrates gallery’s 25 years

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of her local studio and gallery, internationally collected artist Ellen Rice is painting a celebration series of 25 original oil paintings, corresponding with each of those years.

Rice’s paintings and prints of the Delaware coast, historic places created for fundraisers, and her Strength of Woman inspirational series can now be found in private, corporate and government collections in 18 countries on four continents.

“I’m humbled by it,” said Rice. “I used to almost pinch myself over the way my work sold. I feared not making it through my first year with the gallery, but shortly after opening in the old Country Wicker building, a person purchased the first of my Woman Series paintings for $12,000, paying $1,000 per month, covering the gallery’s rent and electricity for the entire first year. That made me feel it was meant to be.”

The Celebration Series paintings are oils on canvas or linen and range in size from 6-by-6-inches to 6-by-12 inches and start at prices far lower than her larger originals. “I wanted to price them so people starting to collect could afford them and those collectors whose homes are filled with fine art could still enjoy collecting new pieces because these can go in so many spaces,” said Rice.

Rice said she has found painting this small, something she’s never done before, is very enjoyable, though details are more difficult. “The details are tiny, and I spend a lot of time on them. I tried to go simpler, especially on one of a breaker crashing of a Rehoboth jetty, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to paint a lacework of detail in the splashing sea foam. Someone once told me that you never want to let a piece go that you wouldn’t want to represent your body of work.”

To see the latest series, go to ellenrice.gallery.

The Ellen Rice Studio & Gallery is located on her home’s property overlooking the James Farm Ecological Preserve, at 30124 Territory Trail, Ocean View.