ARTIST STATEMENT
Creating abstract art is more than just a creative pursuit—it is a vital tool that guides me through the world.
In the studio, I shed the weight of expectations and societal constraints. The process of improvisation becomes a form of liberation—a space where anxiety dissipates, and my most authentic self emerges. Here, I fully embrace the present moment, responding intuitively to materials and the evolving artwork. This interplay between intention and chance mirrors the unpredictable nature of life, allowing me to find meaning and comfort within the chaos.
Collage allows the static to become pictorial and dynamic, revealing layers of meaning that may not be immediately obvious but are deeply felt. I often work with a monochromatic palette, using color sparingly and intentionally. The color blue holds particularsignificance in my practice, evoking both spiritual and emotional states and connecting to vast, limitless spaces like the sky and the ocean.
PROCESS
“The work is born of improvisation, where spontaneous actions and decisions coalesce into imagery that is both fragmented and cohesive.”
At its core, my work is a meditation on time and space—the unseen forces that contain us. The unfolding of time is deeply embedded in my process, as each gesture and decision becomes a marker of presence. Through abstraction, I don’t just create visual experiences — I cultivate a deeper understanding of my place in the world.
CONSCIOUS contrast LAYERED emotion VIBRANT expression
MEET ELLIE
Ellie Fritz produces large-scale works on paper and panels that merge various printmaking techniques with painting and drawing.
She has exhibited her work at Sardine, Brooklyn, New York; Art on Paper, New York, and the Vulcan Materials Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama; as well as the Diego Rivera and Swell Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), Mission Art Center, Herbst Pavilion, and Art Explosion, in San Francisco, California.
Fritz completed both her BFA (2004) and MFA (2008) at SFAI and has received several honors, including the Spring Show Award (2004), and a Teaching Assistantship (2008), both at SFAI. In 2008, Fritz was an artist-in-residence at KALA Art Institute and recently completed her stay as the 2019 artist-in-residence at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (Marin MOCA). She was featured in Studio Visit Magazine in 2010 and has taught through extension programs in San Francisco, including ACE at the San Francisco Art Institute. Fritz lives and works at her studio in Marin County, California.
COMMISSIONS + SERIES
Writeup about commissions and series here.
Actual copy to come. The has exhibited her work at Sardine, Brooklyn, New York; Art on Paper, New York, and the Vulcan Materials Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama; as well as the Diego Rivera and Swell Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), Mission Art Center, Herbst Pavilion, and Art Explosion, in San Francisco, California.
Inside Out, Part 2
20 x 30” | 2025
Ink, pastels and embossing on paper then mounted on a wood panel
Inside Out, Part 1
20 x 30” | 2025
Ink, pastels and embossing on paper then mounted on a wood panel
COMMISSIONS + SERIES
Inside Out, Part 1
20 x 30” | 2025
Ink, pastels and embossing on paper then mounted on a wood panel
Inside Out, Part 2
20 x 30” | 2025
Ink, pastels and embossing on paper then mounted on a wood panel
Actual copy to come. The has exhibited her work at Sardine, Brooklyn, New York; Art on Paper, New York, and the Vulcan Materials Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama; as well as the Diego Rivera and Swell Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), Mission Art Center, Herbst Pavilion, and Art Explosion, in San Francisco, California.
Writeup about commissions and series here.
MEET ELLIE
She has exhibited her work at Sardine, Brooklyn, New York; Art on Paper, New York, and the Vulcan Materials Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama; as well as the Diego Rivera and Swell Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), Mission Art Center, Herbst Pavilion, and Art Explosion, in San Francisco, California.
Fritz completed both her BFA (2004) and MFA (2008) at SFAI and has received several honors, including the Spring Show Award (2004), and a Teaching Assistantship (2008), both at SFAI. In 2008, Fritz was an artist-in-residence at KALA Art Institute and recently completed her stay as the 2019 artist-in-residence at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (Marin MOCA). She was featured in Studio Visit Magazine in 2010 and has taught through extension programs in San Francisco, including ACE at the San Francisco Art Institute. Fritz lives and works at her studio in Marin County, California.
COMMISSIONS + SERIES
Ellie Fritz produces large-scale works on paper and panels that merge various printmaking techniques with painting and drawing.
Actual copy to come. The has exhibited her work at Sardine, Brooklyn, New York; Art on Paper, New York, and the Vulcan Materials Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama; as well as the Diego Rivera and Swell Galleries at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), Mission Art Center, Herbst Pavilion, and Art Explosion, in San Francisco, California.
Writeup about commissions and series here.
Inside Ou Series
20 x 30” | 2025
Ink, pastels and embossing on paper then mounted onto a wood panel