WATCH: Program reflection | 2024 Urbach artist Ellen Lee

Echuca-based visual artist Ellen Lee has been named as the recipient of the 2024 Theodore Urbach Landscape Painting Prize and Studio Scholarship, conducted at Shepparton Art Museum. Read on to learn more about Ellen, her practice, and her upcoming activities.

Ellen Lee lives and works in Echuca. Her home studio is situated by the Banyula State Forest, which provides daily access to bushland and visual resources for her works. Lee graduated with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours First Class) from La Trobe University in 2015 and has exhibited at The Foundry Arts Space, Echuca; at La Trobe University and the Visual Art Centre, Bendigo; at Punctum’s White Space, Castlemaine; and last year presented a solo exhibition in Shepparton Art Museum’s Community Gallery as the 2023 SAM Spotlight artist. 

Awarded the SAM Spotlight opportunity in March 2023, she spent the next seven months in the lead up to her solo show Landscape; of sight, of sound creating five large-scale works on paper. Working on a scale far larger than she had previously attempted, her abstract representations of landscape reflected deep meditations of the landscape. Lee records the landscape she is studying through blind contour drawings (a process of drawing without looking at the paper) that she collects over time. 

Working in a limited palette of organic hues, Lee uses graphite, watercolour and natural staining left from leaf tannins and rust residue to represent the landscapes. Layering  gestural marks and pigment to create a mapping of the landscape, each work is the culmination of notations from multiple excursions. Her pieces are an offering to the audience, an extended moment to pause and be present. 

As the inaugural Urbach artist, Lee will receive access to the SAM Artist Studio and a $5,000 scholarship stipend to support her ongoing creative and professional development. During the three-month scholarship, Lee will investigate the area around Lake Victoria, delving into the new environs and species it offers, paying particular attention to the birdlife that populates the area. In addition to producing studies and new works, she will also be pursuing professional development activities supported by the Urbach program. 

In May, SAM Curator - Community Caroline Esbenshade caught up with Ellen to get a glimpse of what we can expect from her as she develops her practice over the coming months.

What is it that you find fascinating about the surrounding wetlands? Have there been any particular moments or observations that you feel are special or inspirational? 

The relationship between the water and the birds is fascinating to me; it's so full of movement and energy. The interactions between the birds are really interesting too, and I’m getting a glimpse into their dynamics and habits. They are quite calm and friendly, so I'm able to observe them closely without impacting their movements.  

On one of my first mornings here I watched a kingfisher diving into the lake. Since then I keep returning to the same place and have been lucky enough to see it a few more times.  

How has it felt to be working in the SAM artist studio? Do you feel you create differently in this environment? 

The natural light is really beautiful to work with, and having a larger space with all the facilities is great.   

Working in a studio space that is so close to the wetlands means that I can access them really easily between painting sessions, and I can engage with the projects I’m working on both in the studio space and on location multiple times throughout the day.  

What opportunities are you most looking forward to in the course of this scholarship?          

The application process, which gave me immediate feedback from the panel about my practice, was already so great in guiding me to the next steps, and I’m looking forward to follow-up meetings with the panelists for further feedback. 

In addition to those visits, I’m also incredibly excited about the other studio visits that have been lined up with artists that I admire. 

This program is allowing me a chance to meet and work with the broader SAM team to get feedback on some of my non-studio activities that are still so important to evolving my practice, and I appreciate the accountability the program provides to encourage me to get those different tasks done. It’s been great to have the opportunity to get more casual, spontaneous feedback on my process. 

The Theodore Urbach Landscape Painting Prize and Studio Scholarship is generously supported by the The Theodore Urbach Landscape Painting Scholarship and Prize Charitable Trust, managed by Equity Trustees.

Follow along with Ellen's activities through her Instagram at @ellenlee_artist.

All images by Shepparton Art Museum, unless otherwise stated.