Ellen Horovitz

Tell something about your family, where you grew up, went to school, etc.

I grew up in Providence, RI, and was highly influenced by my siblings, Nancy Bachrach, and Len Horovitz, MD. Both were (and are) amazingly talented. Specifically, my brother is a renowned concert pianist and an MD, and he was my closest companion growing up. My sister recently published her first book, a “momoir,” (a memoir about our mother), which explains our upbringing. We were always getting into something. I was sort of the wild card in the family.  All three of us attended public schools in Providence and Classical High School, which was rigorous. There was a summer reading list every year, and if you failed the test in the fall, you were out.

What were your early childhood influences regarding art – family, teachers, etc.? I was always encouraged to make art. I could copy anything by the age of 8 and won a few contests in school. But I didn’t take any art lessons until age 16, when I won a scholarship to the Summer Six program at Skidmore College. It was there that I blossomed.

Did you go to college? Where? Major? Any mentors?

In college, I triple majored in Art, Art Education and Psychology. It’s no wonder that I became an art therapist. I attended Windham College in Putney, Vermont, and was highly influenced by my professors, specifically, Peter Forakis. It was probably because of Peter and Toshiko Takaezu that I leaned towards ceramics. Toshiko encouraged me to continue in ceramics while attending a scholarship program at Skidmore College. They were mentors. Later, I attended Rhode Island School of Design and then completed a master’s in Art Therapy at New York University. While at NYU, I had many more mentors, specifically the late Edith Kramer.

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Artists: Pissarro and Michelangelo  -  Writers: Sartre, e.e.cummings, Camus, and then some.

What type of art do you create? Has your style changed over time? Do you have a favorite medium to work in?

I have worked in many media- drawing, painting (oil, acrylic and watercolor), printmaking, wood, photography, glass, ceramics, fibers/quilting, and then some. I do love ceramics but am always drawn to new mediums.

What inspires you to create art? Are there real-life situations that inspire you?

 Mostly, I am inspired by nature, the human form, and always, dinosaurs. 

What do you want to express through your art? Do you have certain themes that you pursue?

Lots of dinosaurs appear in my work, and they are generally anthropomorphized.

What is your favorite artist tool?

For drawing: my rapidograph, which I discovered while in Germany in 1972.  For ceramics: my needle tool.

How important are titles to your art?

It depends. For example, in printmaking, often the titles make people laugh.

What are the hardest and best parts of creating art?

Consistency- that is, showing up and going to the studio, not getting sidetracked into lessimportant matters.

How would you describe your studio?

My husband would say that it takes up 7/8 of the house, including my private practice office, ceramics area, and garage, where my kiln is housed.

Do you listen to music or podcasts when you create? What type and is it inspiring?

Yes, I listen to music; mostly, I listen to audio books.

Where can people go to see your art? Do you have a website or Facebook page for your work?

My work is in several locations, including Gallery 32, Main Street Arts, the Cheshire Union, and my website gallery: https://drellenhorovitz.com/gallery. Mostly, I avoid social media as it cuts into my time making art.

Do you accept commissions?

Yes.

Do you have a piece of artwork that you’re most proud of? Why?

I am not sure how to answer that. I do have some favorites, a few were drawings, which inspired artwork, which was later screened onto ceramic pieces or made into prints.

Professionally, what’s your goal?

As an art therapist, I feel like I achieved my goals (I just finished the 4th edition of The Art Therapists’ Primer and spearheaded an art therapy program for 36 years before retiring from academia). As an artist, my only goal is to keep making art. Selling is nice, but giving art to the people I love? That’s even better.

Do you have a “dream” project that you’d like to create?

I think I would love to return to oxyacetylene welding, which has given way to MIG and TIG welding. But I prefer working with a torch- I love fire.

Anything else you’d like to share with the OCAC members?!

Keep making art. These days, with everything so digitized and AI-oriented, it is so important to work by hand. Scientifically, we have learned how important it is to do any of the arts (music, writing, acting and any kind of creation)