Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Jane Ellis 

BA [Hons] Art

Jane Ellis is a visual artist with a grounding in print making. She works primarily with woodblock print, using observational drawing to develop her imagery. Jane often uses natural objects and cut out woodblock pieces as printing tools. Her work methodology also involves processes of exploration with different media such as inks, acrylics, watercolours and tonal pens. She prefers to work plein air, particularly in the Wicklow mountains, as she finds the experience of being outdoors invigorating. Jane has exhibited at IADT group shows such as Making the Intangible Tangible (United Artists Club, 2019) and High Heart (Pallas Projects/Studios, 2021).

Project Description

My work focuses on the regeneration processes in the natural world, the emergence of new life in flora and fauna. These propagation cycles intrigue me, and I am also fascinated by the effect of seasonal changes in light intensity. My research for this project has involved continuous observational studies, in domestic and outdoor spaces. When choosing my subjects, I am often drawn to apparently banal spaces or structures, which might otherwise be overlooked. I try to use the simplicity of line to investigate the experience of depth. In my drawings and prints, intense areas of detail tend to compete with areas of deliberate emptiness, aiming to unbalance the viewer. Through the suggestion of a void, I seek to approach apparently mundane spaces with a conscious freshness of perspective, combining precisely painted images with the sense of openness produced by woodblock printing.