Meet the Team
Ellen Avigliano is an Artist, Illustrator, Photographer, & Designer based in New Jersey.
I am a disabled creator with multiple autoimmune conditions supporting myself with my artwork and creativity. I love dogs, fishkeeping, houseplants, and drinking coffee. I am on a mission to pet every dog and every cat that I meet, and so far it’s been a successful quest. I read a LOT of books and watch a LOT MORE movies. I am a self-proclaimed hula hoop champion*.
I believe in challenging societal norms, equality and justice for all, and smashing the patriarchy. I prefer not to “paint myself into a corner” when it comes to media, genre, or style - instead my studio practice has one continual focus across the entire body of work: colour!
Instead of following the “Academia Mindset” of product-over-process, my creativity focuses heavily on the exploratory process of “making things.” My process is about exploring the endless possibilities of a creative practice, and embracing the wild ride from initial imaginative vision to finished work of art. The freedom I have found in purely experimenting with different media and focusing on the organic nature of creating brings me unparalleled joy!
#MECFS #MillionsMissing #InvisibleIllness #Fibromyalgia #AutoImmune
*claim also backed by evidence because I once won a competition at age 10 at a local fair for who could hula hoop the longest without dropping it, and not only did I not drop it but I shimmied it up and down from my neck to my knees and back again to my waist, never once stopping my “immaculate vibes” as the kids say, and therefore I’m just never going to let anyone take this title from me as long as I live, HA!
Bella Strange is an Emotional Support Pup/Future Service Dog, Real Life Goblin, and Professional Packaging Tester
I am a rescue dog from Your New Best Friend Dog Rescue in New Jersey. I was adopted on November 20th 2022, and have been amassing a gargantuan collection of new toys ever since. I’ve partially chewed one reclining couch, one coffee table, and one vital support beam in my house. My mom isn’t quite sure what kind of dog I am (DNA test coming soon) but she keeps saying I am part dingo and part kangaroo.
My favorite snackies are frozen goose droppings, feral cat poop, and sidewalk trash snacks. I’m also a big fan of Pup Cups, and I will come running from a dead sleep if I hear the whipped cream can just so I don’t miss out.
Next to my Puppy Parents, Tia Daisy is my favorite creature in the whole wide world, and my first friend in the real world. I am a full-time professional chewer, agent of chaos, and goblin princess. I’m also training for my professional wrestling career by practicing my signature move “cocaine zoomies” every night during my night-night walkies!
When I’m not shredding my mom’s important paperwork or stealing my papa’s socks from the hamper, I enjoy rigorously testing all of mama’s packaging materials. You can rest assured that my mama really does choose only the most durable ones! I should know, because I have chewed them all and tested them for quality assurance purposes!
I am a Betta fish.
My hobbies include moping, grumping, swimming, sleeping, and doing a murder of shrimp.
I’m the resident handsome motherfucker.
I swim all day and provide peace for the studio inhabitants and guests.
Blub.
Swatch, Professional Zen Maker and Resident Aquatic Badass
Creative Philosophy and the Process
My aesthetic is heavily influenced by Pop Art, Street and Graffiti Art, Psychedelic Art, and media such as Cartooning, Film, and Theatre. I have an affinity towards vintage and retro style. Most of my artwork features geometric patterns, bold line work, and vivid color palettes.
Common themes throughout my body of work focus on modern cultural issues such as intersectional feminism, mental health, disability, LGBTQ+ rights, diversity, identity/gender roles, appreciation for nature and the environment, interconnectivity of all living things, etc.
The brilliant, over-saturated, retro inspired, rainbow aesthetic is my way of expression my vision for a more positive, united world. I truly do believe that concentrating on the core values of inclusion, acceptance, empathy, and unity are vital to saving humanity and rescuing the planet.
It is my hope that by utilizing The Arts in this way, I can continue to push the envelope, transcend communication barriers, and bring a message of unity and positivity to future generations.
