About Me

Ellen Haiken attended Cooper Union in New York City where she majored in sculpture under Reuben Kadish. After raising a family for many years in the Boston area, Ellen returned to sculpture almost ten years ago. When a wrist injury forced her to stop carving, she switched to painting. She paints in oils and works from life.

She is a member of the SOWA Artists Guild, South End Artists Association, and the Figurative Art Center.
Her work is in private collections in the United States, Europe, and Japan. She paints in oils and works from life.

Quotes from Ellen

“I find that simple everyday objects and forms are endlessly fascinating. Nothing is static, nothing stays the same. A still life is never really still. As the earth rotates, the light changes constantly, making shadows change color and shape as well. Reflections move: they lengthen, they break up, they disappear. Organic objects change color both as they ripen and also as the light moves and dims or brightens.”

“When I paint someone’s portrait, I try to capture their essence. It’s not about what a camera sees, but what I see.”

“An artist’s hands are no different than anyone else’s. Like most people, I can’t draw a straight line or a perfect circle. The difference is in my eyes.”