About the Show

 

Ellen Davis’ “Of Salt and Sun” is a wonderful example of how art can open the mind and keep the viewer pondering. Like with any work of art, at first encounter, one can absorb the image, but with this exhibit, the viewer’s curiosity will likely ‘get the better of them’. Along with savoring the bounty of beauty, ‘How is that done?’  will likely be a rewarding question to ask. 

 

Davis’ Cyanotype Pieces (*a fascinating alternative photographic process) have a complexity partially due to their wonderful soft intensity. This gives a nod to her experimentation and zest for discovery which led Davis to find her own additional inventive technique; thus, culminating in stunning combinations of layered and varied deep blues, dabbles of rainbow, undertones of green, and in some cases almost-hues of purples and sprinkled with burnt orange to golden rust, all infused with muted shine and salty textures. 

 

“Of Salt and Sun” includes images from leaves, plant life, and unknown splashes of dots, all done on paper or fabric, making for a rich contrast of texture and color. This Work is so unique and mysterious, each piece can be seen as such, plus all have an exciting abstract quality. 

 

Thanks to Davis’ deep intuitive exploration and sensitive eye she opens up new territories. “Of Salt and Sun” honors curiosity and reminds us to appreciate the limitlessness of experimenting - and the desire to experience wonder beyond us. In essence, Davis’ artwork expresses the elation when art brings together magical interaction between the elements and the soul.

 

* Brief explanation of the cyanotype process: 

Cyanotype is a photographic process invented in 1842 that creates Prussian Blue toned prints when exposed to UV light. Cyanotype is a liquid solution that is easily applied to paper and fabric. Cyanotype does not use a camera because it is a contact print process: which means an object has to be in direct contact with the paper or fabric  to create an image. The image stops exposing when rinsed with water or maximum exposure has been reached. It was once used to make blueprints, which is how the term “blueprint” was coined.

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Artist Statement

 

Artist Ellen Davis talks about her show “Of Salt and Sun” at the Nevada City Winery Gallery.

I often feel I’m at a surface level of what I could be as an artist. This is why I always seek to push and dig deeper to find what I am capable of - a process that feels very natural to me, it always brings me the most joy, and why experimentation is deeply integral to my work. With Of Salt and Sun, I have created experimental cyanotype work that is genuinely exciting to me because I feel that I have dug deep enough to find a fat vein of gold: the specific techniques I developed as I created this body of work are truly my own and I love the shining, shimmering colors contrasted with the crusty textures of the salt. I will keep the key secrets of my technique to myself, but I drew upon many sources and experiences as inspiration: looking at other people’s work, traveling, teaching, being insatiably curious, and welcoming failure. 

 

Cyanotype artist Meghann Riepenhoff made images of actual ocean waves by letting waves wash up onto paper coated with cyanotype- a genius technique I tried for myself and am delighted with. Who wouldn’t enjoy spending a day at the beach making artwork? But I wanted to do more with it and fervently wished that the initial colors created by the reaction of cyanotype to salt water - a gorgeous palette of rust oranges - would not fade to blue as they always did.
 

Last spring I took a trip to Portugal and brought cyanotype papers with me to make ocean wave cyanotypes. One beach had seawater dripping from rocks, and being curious about the effects, I let some drops splash onto the cyanotype paper. Each drop created its own landscape image with shades of rust and blue, and to my surprise and delight, they retained some of the rusty colors. The reason seemed to be that the Atlantic is saltier than the Pacific, and from this began my experimentation with salinated water to see how I could create and retain color to contrast with the blue.
 

In spring 2025 I was a visiting artist at Nevada Union High School, and I taught around 200 students the cyanotype process. My usual method was to use artificial UV light sources to expose cyanotypes, but that was not going to be possible with so many students, so I had to learn to rely more upon the sun.

I am in love with the cyanotype and other alternative photographic processes because it is, in part, my attempt to dig deep under the surface of what it means to be an artist; to express emotion, meaning, and have a deep inner experience creating my artwork.

The other aspect of my love for alternative processes is that I prefer to work with physical objects because it is more ritualistic - even when it’s annoying and frustrating - because I put more of myself into my work. This type of work is time consuming, and I’m forced to slow down. I have to think differently and put more consideration into what I’m doing. It doesn’t always work out like I planned; sometimes it fails spectacularly- I once charbroiled a gorgeous piece I left to dry in the oven- but other times I can see that the piece has its own voice and I just need to listen. This is why I welcome the unexpected “flaws” and fearlessly lean into them until they make or break the image- and this philosophy is one that I try to apply to my life. Not always successfully, or easily, and sometimes I forget, but it does help me allow myself to work with the unexpected and see what direction that takes me.

 

About the Artist

 

Ellen was born and raised in Nevada City, California. Like many Nevada County kids, after high school she left to go explore other places before returning home for longer than a visit. Ellen’s journey of 24 years took her through Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Alaska (20 years) and then back to Nevada City. 

 

Growing up she enjoyed looking at the photographs of Ansel Adams and National Geographic, but her interest in photography finally caught fire in 2005 while traveling in Australia with her first digital camera. She was inspired to photograph how that sunburnt country made her feel, rather than just what she saw. Alaska is an exceptional place to learn photography, and in 2012 she began studying photography through the Fine Arts program at the University of Alaska Anchorage. There she was introduced to alternative and experimental photography, which is where Ellen’s strength and passion lies, and has a particular love for the cyanotype process. What she thrives on is pushing the definition of what a photograph can be and express. 

Her work has been shown in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, the Anchorage Museum in Alaska, and has received student and national awards. Locally, she had a dual exhibition, “Grounded Reveries” at The Center for the Arts in 2024 with Jonathon Hinojosa, participated in Open Studios, and was hired as a visiting artist at Nevada Union High School in 2025, and for 2027, to teach the cyanotype process.  

 

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