Sue Ellibee’s collage artwork is an extension of her lifelong work in graphic design. In her collage pieces, she uses elements of color and texture to create her own interpretation of nature. This artistic direction has given Ellibee the opportunity to apply her visual skills in a new way—interpreting and simplifying the natural landscape.

She paints papers and creates textures on recycled grocery-store bags, with kraft paper backgrounds forming the visual vocabulary of her work. Thinner, lightweight bags allow her to layer papers for her floral compositions.

Working on these collages has been a joy for Ellibee and has allowed her to explore new ways of seeing the world around her.

She recently moved back to Wisconsin after spending nine years in Georgia and Tennessee. While the southern mountains are beautiful, the Midwest is where her roots are. Ellibee has immersed herself in all things Wisconsin, and her artwork reflects both the feeling of coming home and the experience of seeing familiar landscapes with fresh eyes.