New Ellen Rice Studio and Learning Center opens Nov. 29-30
Well-known Delaware painter Ellen Rice will celebrate the opening of her new public, working studio and learning center on the Cedar Neck peninsula of Ocean View as part of the 25th Annual Southeastern Delaware Artists Studio Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29 and 30.
One of four founding members of the SEDAST tour, Rice has spent her life painting the people, places and wildlife of Delaware and beyond. Her works can be found in private, government and corporate collections in 14 countries on four continents, but her favorite subjects are close to home.
Near the James Farm Ecological Preserve, the new Ellen Rice Studio and Learning Center is at 30370 Cedar Neck Road, Ocean View, just past Big Fish Grill on the left. Ample free parking is available, and her studio is wheelchair-accessible.
The studio is about two miles from Coastal Highway on a quiet road near artists Laura Hickman and Cheryl Wisbrock on the revised tour map.
“This is a new adventure, having a place where I and others can teach and gather,” said Rice. “I hope to turn this into a place of fun activities, cultural growth, friendship and inspiration. The welcome mat will always be out.”
Best known for her inspirational works, luminescent oils of this region and a treasure map that put her on the map nationally through galleries and QVC, Rice will show and talk about works in progress in her new studio, including her newest Strength of Woman Series painting. She will also introduce new oils of the ocean and the coastal area’s marshlands and inland waterways.
During the tour, signups for winter classes and workshops in drawing and various water media by Rice and local artist Joanne Guilfoil will be offered at special prices.
Rice will also introduce 10 new pieces in a series of mini-framed giclée reproductions priced under $30 for each 3-by-3-inch giclée print in either a wood frame or silver-framed ornament. Each print is signed on the front and signed, titled and dated on the back in gold, and can be personalized by Rice during the tour. Images of some of Rice’s most popular paintings are also offered on coffee mugs, mouse pads and journals.
“The beauty of this area is a constant source of inspiration,” said Rice. “I never run out of ideas. It’s impossible. The difficulty isn’t deciding what I will paint, but what next.”
For more information and directions, go to www.ellenrice.gallery or call 302-539-3405.
