by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 Our previous stake president, Eric Coppin, was captain of United Airlines at the same time he served. An amazingly loving and humble man, it was my pleasure to offer him a portrait. He selected this reference photo – one his daughter had taken of him in the […]
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The Island Troubadour (Hohaia)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 Luman Hohaia is an extremely soft-spoken man who comes alive when he entertains with the Pacific Island songs that he loves so much. Suddenly his voice is loud and strong – it’s quite amazing. He sings in English and Polynesian. This portrait was my gift to him […]
It’s All in a Name
by Godfrey J. Ellis This illustration was meant to show that a person’s name was not just descriptive, it was also predictive. In other words, people tend to grow into whatever stereotype is suggested by the names that were given to them. An article in Psychology Today points out the fact that, “Names matter. Whenever […]
Congo Preacher (Kayij-Wint)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 This is the Reverend Kayij, the husband of the woman in the bright dress (“Congo Pride”) and the father of my colleague, Kaj Kayij-Wint. Her father had recently passed on and this painting was commissioned by her as a memory of him and a tribute to his […]
Colorful Ciara (Nies)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 This portrait is of our friend, Carol Nies’s, 18-year-old granddaughter, Ciara. Her hair is yellow one day and pink the next. Is the painting any good? I guess art is in the eye of the beholder. The abstract background was my first attempt at what is called […]
Fire in the Forest (Rafn)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 This is the wife of Mark Rafn. He liked his own “Good Samaritan” portrait so much that he wanted one for his wife as a Valentine’s gift. I was interested in doing it because I was intrigued at how bright her auburn hair shone as the light […]
The Good Samaritan (Rafn)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 I grounded the car on a cement curb one early and still-dark Sunday morning. After Church, Mark Rafn came out to take a look. He was a 42-year-old young man who was suffering with terminal cancer. He immediately insisted on getting down on the ground and cut […]
The Joy of a Leaf (Mortinson)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 Thrilled with the portrait of Mark, the Mortinsons asked if I would paint their autistic grandson who found a huge maple leaf outside. I liked his joy as he proudly showed it off. She offered to pay for it but was aghast when I suggested $100. She […]
Congo Pride (Kayij-Wint)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 One of my favorite students, who went on to earn a PhD and become a colleague, was Kaj Kayij-Wint. I offered her a painting of her child and she asked for her mother, Kona, instead. Kona is 72 years old and extremely soft spoken with a habit […]
Saintly Inspiration (Mortinson)
by Godfrey J. Ellis – 12×16 acrylic 2020 This is one of my favorite portraits. It is a painting of Mark Mortensen, a very sweet, gentle man suffering with Parkinson’s. There are technical mistakes but I felt like I captured the saintly tone of this sweet man. I wanted to capture not only his likeness […]