African-American Artist Helen Ellis
I’m a multi-media artist whose creations foster a celebration of African American history and culture
A fine artist who works in acrylics, oils, pastels and mixed media
My subjects are universally people of color, showcasing their unique beauty and panache. I also paint landscapes. On this site, I hope to showcase and sell my paintings, and to post about upcoming events I will be involved in.
Featured Collection
18 X 24 Acrylic/mixed media action portrait of ballerina Misty Copeland in classic pose in Swan Lake Ballet
Expressive portrait of Warrior King Shaka Zulu, standing boldly in traditional African garb, before the backdrop of a European sailing ship
Acrylic 18 × 24
This acrylic/collage portrait is an homage to our African American women ancestors who toiled in the deep South, dreaming of better lives for their children. This “Delta” woman is pictured juxtaposed between her rustic cabin full of sunflowers and a field of cotton before a cotton gin.
20 × 24
Sultry portrait of jazz age icon, Josephine Baker reclining on a tiger skin rug. Acrylic and mixed media, dimensions 18 × 24
3 image color soaked portrait of Vice President Kamala Harris, with USA flag symbols
18 x 24 Acrylic and mixed media
Black and white portrait of sultry R&B singer Sade
12 X 36 Acrylic and mixed media
18 x 24 Acrylic/mixed media portrait of civil rights activist, singer and musician Nina Simone
12 x 36 ACRYLIC Poignant 9 image portrait of incarcerated women with their children during a visiting day at the prison facility
Acrylic and mixed media depiction of Elizabeth Eckford, 1 of 9 Black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Vivid and searing portrait of the teenager walking through vicious, racist taunts and insults from white adults and teens alike.
24 X 30 Acrylic and mixed media painting of iconic Pastor, Activist and US Congressman
Adam Clayton Powell. 3 image portrait with Abyssinian Baptist Church and Capitol in background.
Mixed media - Acrylic and fabric
Colorful, evocative profile portrait of reggae icon Bob Marley, with his dreadlocks cascading as he sings
Action portrait of African American cowboy riding a bucking horse in a corral with a brilliant sunset behind him
Mixed media - acrylic, glitter, collage
Dimensions: 16 X 20
Mixed media portrait of iconic singer, entertainer and musician Nat “King” Cole - the 1st African American to have a television show in America 1956-1957.
Mixed media - acrylic, gold foil. glitter
Dimensions: 30 X 30
Colorful abstract of woman/tree/butterfly and the merge and metamorphosis of the 3 stages
Mixed media & acrylic
30 X 30
Acrylic and mixed media portrait of new Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson and 5 African American heroines who fought for African American rights in the US: Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Ella Baker, Sojouner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer.
32 X 18
Mixed media portrait of singer John Legend performing “A new day” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in front of the Lincoln Memorial
Demure, dreamy portrait of African American woman seated with landmarks of Paris in background - Arc de Triumphe and Eiffel Tower
Mixed media - Acrylic, fabric, gold foil, silver foil
18 X24
Profile full body portrait of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams
18 X 24
Medium: Mixed media, acrylic, glitter shards, cloth
Mixed media snapshot portrait of African American activist acapella singing group, “Sweet Honey in the rock”. Formed in the 70’s, they’ve spent decades uplifting, encouraging and being a witness of the Black experience in the US
Striking, mixed media interpretation of cave structure in Antelope Canyon Arizona
Evocative 2 image portrait of Civil rights firebrand Fannie Lou Hamer, juxtaposed with images of African American enslaved women picking cotton and the US Capitol. Ms. Hamer testified before Congress of the brutality she endured when jailed for registering African Americans in Mississippi in the early 1960’s.
Cheerful, evocative portrait of South Asian woman near the waterside with the backdrop of a lovely sunset
Striking black & white mixed-media profile portrait of soul singer, civil rights activist Nina Simone
Acrylic and mixed media portrait of African musician Sona Jobarteh and guitar player in her band
Stirring 3 image portrait of gospel music icon Mahalia Jackson, with background of stained glass
“If art can be at the service of anything, it's about letting us see a state of grace for those people who rarely get to be able to be seen that way.”
— Kehinde Wiley
Latest Events
Whimsical acrylic/mixed media portrait of tennis great Serena Williams in late stage of pregnancy surrounded by black and white sunrise and oversized flowers