Ellen Milinich, portraitist & surgical technician

Besides being a busy charcoal portraitist I have a full time Job in the Labor and Delivery floor of the local hospital as a surgical technician. During my day my thoughts drift about my art. I think about what kind of portrait I want to do next. Then I had an idea to do a picture of a mother baby scene to hang on our unit. The Art on the walls was pretty old and faded. I didn’t think anyone would mind. So many of the doctors and nurses and commissioned me to do work for them. I knew people liked my work. The one problem I had was where am I going to get a model? After reading the book called The Artist Way I learned that if you ask for it and put it out into the cosmos that it will come. But you have to wait and be ready. It just happens one weekend my daughter and my grand-daughter were in town and staying with me. My daughter I were in the living room talking and I went to get the camera because the light was so nice and my daughter is my favorite model. Well the baby woke up from her nap and Shelley went to get her. As they were sitting on the couch I got so excited because there it was! Right in front of me! The model I needed for my picture. So I took numerous photos to work from and they turned out so well.

I planned my picture. It was done pretty much life size. I put it on Strathmore charcoal paper in storm gray. It was done in charcoal and I used white pastel on the bright whites. After it was framed I took it to work. The girls wanted it to be by the nurse’s station. So I took an old picture down and replaced it with mine.And that was that. I was so happy with the experience. My goal was complete. I was so pleased. It was done very quietly. No marching band or punch was served! That’s OK. It was a spiritual experience for me. I think only another artist would understand.
Ellen Milinich
Oct 4, 2010

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