| Ellie has recently begun
exploring non-functional glass sculpture as a means of expression.
Most designs are self-supporting, though some such as Autumn
Harvest are wall-mounted sculptures.
The subject matter of some of
Ellie's sculptures, such as the tulip pieces and the My Mother
Always Was a Snappy Dresser series, have been inspired by her life
and family. Ellie discusses these influences:
"These pieces are a result of
reflection on my childhood, my parents and my paternal grandfather,
tunesmith Joe Burke. Granddad was a successful songwriter in the
1930's and '40's and my father was very proud of him. Before my father
passed away in the spring of ' 98 I promised to create a tulip piece,
commemorating Granddad's song, 'Tiptoe through the Tulips.'"
"My childhood was a happy one
represented in my work by games and the excitement of seeing my mother
all dressed up to go out some evenings. In 1997, she, my sisters and
myself went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art's 'Best Dressed'
Exhibit. Seeing the Museum's collection of designer dresses of the '
50's and ' 60's (among others) brought those memories forward and
offered a new forum for sculptural exploration."
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