Phyllis Bryce Ely
Rochester, NY
Studio/plein air artist working in oil and encaustic wax. Inspired by the landscape of New York's western and Finger Lakes regions and Lake Ontario.
Message
Phyllis Bryce Ely is a plein air and studio artist who has exhibited regionally, nationally and internationally since the early 1980s. She is regarded for her works in oil and encaustic wax depicting energized landscapes of Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, and western New York. Phyllis lives and paints from her home on the Lake Ontario shoreline and from her studio in the Neighborhood of the Arts in Rochester, NY. Her work has received many awards and recognitions over the years and her paintings are included in public and private collections. Phyllis is a 2023 Saltonstall Arts Foundation fellow and serves on the boards of The Dove Block Project and The Genesee Valley Plein Air Painters.
Statement
My work is fueled by energized nature—especially the waters, ice, skies and land forms of Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes region of New York. Direct observation when painting en plein air connects me to a place as I learn its lines, colors, and story. In all my work, I distill nature to gestures and geometries and invite viewers into my experience.