Ellie Neifeld
Ellie is the Lead Naturalist at the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association in Bishop, CA.
Ellie feels most at home in nature. She draws inspiration from the birds she meets on the eastside and during her many travels across the American West. Painting is her way of paying attention to the intricate details of each bird species and sharing the beauty of birds with others.
My Process
Capturing a bird’s personality in oil paint is the goal of my work. Though paintings are still, I try to convey how birds are always on the cusp of movement. I start outside, birding. I then do a pencil drawing, and finally I paint the bird with oil paints. Feathers translate into brushstrokes beautifully. Most nature illustrators work with watercolor, but my chosen medium is oil paint because I like the 3-dimensional quality of the paint, and because the medium feels more natural to my hand. I paint on Arches Oil Paper to maintain the affect of a white paper background while still painting with oils.
