Last year, Ella’s grandpa was diagnosed with Leukemia. Ella decided that she would paint Machu Picchu, a historic sanctuary in Peru, her grandpa’s home country. To cope with his diagnosis, she used two canvases to capture the beauty and spirituality of the ruins. She captured the sunset with an acute attention to detail of light, texture and color that is breathtaking. The deep emotional meaning of paying tribute to her grandpa brought tears to my eyes.

Ella is very close to her grandparents, who inspired and encouraged her creativity from a young age. As a family, we traveled and exposed her to different museums, artists and people that developed her love for art. At home, when she watched animated movies or shows, she was inspired by the scenes. At 12, she attended Disney Family Museum art classes in San Francisco, advancing her skills and motivating her, upon her return, to paint murals from Disney themes on her closet walls and ceiling.

Ella loves the versatility of painting, from watercolor to canvas to even wood; her need to paint has never been satisfied. At every opportunity, Ella has always asked for more painting supplies, both to build a diverse collection of paints and to replenish from her latest projects. She is prolific with her paintings in her pursuit of developing her craft, and even had one piece recognized in a local art show. Ella will always have paint on her hands.