Artwork copyright Ellen Steinfeld. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Earth Series IV, 1990

Ellen Steinfeld
American (born 1945)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Artist Ellen Steinfeld created Earth Series IV from handmade paper pulp. She created the colorful abstract composition by combining different natural fibers and materials in a machine called a Hollander beater, which creates pulp. She then added pigments into different batches of pulp. She pours multiple colors in designs using stencils and molds. She based the composition on original drawings and color studies. She then sandwiches the paper between wool blankets and wood, pressing it together to squeeze out water and to create a flat sheet. She notes that the Earth Series "depict landscapes of the earth and the universe. They demonstrate the beauty of hills, flowers, sun showers, vegetation and the planets all coexisting in harmony."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Ellen Steinfeld creates paintings, sculptures, mixed media and stained glass. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and design from Carnegie Mellon University and a master's degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh. Always evolving as an artist, she is "interested in interweaving shapes and colors with imaginary organic forms, combining spatial relationships and exploring the microscopic."