Ellen Zelano is originally from Rhode Island where she was a teacher. She studied at Northeastern University in Boston, receiving her masters’ degree in education. Later she spent a year teaching in the Netherlands close to Amsterdam. Her time in Amsterdam awakened her interest in the arts. Exposure to the fabulous galleries throughout the city, the architecture, labyrinth of alleys, ancient bridges, undulating cobbled streets, left an indelible fascination with the idea of expressing the wonder of it all in paint. 

She is a professional artist, mom, Nonna, wife, crone, occasional hag,  and former adjunct professor at the Corcoran College of Art and Design teaching portraiture and painting.  She is a resident of Virginia and maintains a studio in Washington, DC metro area.  In  past years she would take groups of painters to Tuscany, Italy, for two weeks to Montorno, a painter's retreat located in the foothills of the Apinnine mountains. 

Her technical approach is classical and reflects her admiration of great historical artists such as Velasquez, Vermeer, Caravaggio, and contemporary American and European artists living today. Ellen’s personal history, beliefs, imagination and aesthetics have come together on canvas to create a distinctive and articulate painting style. Her work has been in many juried and invitational exhibitions around  metropolitan D.C., NYC and New England, and is many collections around the country and in Europe.