Ella Cate Downing Art 399 Portfolio

Author/Artist Name

Ellen C. DowningFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Fall 12-3-2025

Artist Statement

Artist Statement

Ella Cate Downing

Rooted in subjects such as Faith, growth, and Biblical truth, while incorporating child development and how a child interprets certain subjects, is found throughout my work. Drawing from narratives that come from the Bible, and how children learn and understand these topics. My work draws directly from scripture and utilizes symbolism to help children learn and deepen their Faith. Intertwining both how a child learns and my Faith is ultimately what my works are about.

Soft, vibrant colors and a more simplistic style are what viewers see within my work. Using a more illustrative minimalist style makes it pleasing to the eye and easier for children to comprehend. The medium of painting lets this style come through very successfully. Within painting, it gives you the chance to blend and mix fun, vibrant colors and smooth textures. When all of these things combine, it creates a smooth, seamless composition. Within the world of painting, I have explored oil paint, but have recently focused more on using acrylic paints. Using this type of medium is more versatile, while still giving a texture that looks polished like.

These works are drawn from a variety of influences, one big one being the Bible. Combining scripture along with childhood experiences and how children develop is what brings my work to life. Drawing on impactful parables and stories from scripture, I utilize imagery and simple forms to effectively communicate and break down important truths. Exploring different artists who either use scriptural references or are children's book illustrators is what has physically influenced my work the most. All of these influences come together to make work that is grounded in Faith and growth.

All of this comes together to make up work that is rooted in Faith and Biblical truth, along with making it easy for all to understand. Using parables, narratives, symbolism, and imagery, and intertwining child development makes the work easy to understand. Combining both how a child learns along faith is what my work encapsulates.

Advisor/Mentor

Mike Martin, Lu Colby

Description

My work mainly focuses in the mediums of painting, however I have explored a variety of different ways to make art. Some being ceramics, bookbinding, drawing and of course painting. While this is what I make art out of I incorporate Biblical themes and concepts along with tieing in child development. My work currently is exploring all of these things combined and things are starting to come together!

Photo Credit

N/A

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Downing, Ellen C., "Ella Cate Downing Art 399 Portfolio" (2025). Professional Practices (ART 399). 186.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art399/186