By Lee Ann Leonard
If you’ve ever visited the Lake Powell or Lake Powell Community Alliance Facebook page, then you’ve probably admired Emily Ellis’ photography. For the alliance’s bird survey images, she artistically captures everything from bald eagles to yellow-crowned night herons. The engaging images beg to be framed or painted, and for good reason. The Inlet Beach resident is an accomplished photographer and painter who has won more than 20 awards and participated in over 45 exhibitions. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University in 1989 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of South Florida in 1993.
“The natural world has traditionally been my foremost inspiration,” the University of Florida Master Naturalist Program graduate says. Her photographic, educational and leadership contributions to many nature-based organizations garnered her the Bay County Audubon Society’s “Conservationist of the Year” title in 2020.
When she’s not dusting off her awards, immersed in nature capturing wildlife or planning the annual “Lake Powell Cleanup,” Ellis can be found in her eclectic home studio, dabbling in multiple mediums. “Regardless of medium, my work leans predominantly toward the abstract with an emphasis on texture, mark-making and especially composition,” Ellis explains. “I’m a stickler for strong composition.”
Attend one of her art shows, and you’ll be drawn to photographs that appear almost tactile. “My photographic works offer diverse and sometimes unconventional subject matter,” the naturalist shares. “Microcosmic images of animal skins and scales provide immersive textures. Other evocative works depict animal eye portraits, color inversions and open-lens photography.”
To view this activist’s striking work, search Daisy Hipbilly on Facebook or contact her to schedule a studio visit at (850) 818-2262 or EmilyFrancesEllis.Art@gmail.com.
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