• San Francisco based artist Ellen Little grew up in Los Angeles and earned her BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena CA. Upon graduating she moved to New York to work in advertising and teach at the School of Visual Arts. Next she moved to San Francisco and started the graphic design firm, Little Design Group. In 2009 she left Little Design Group to pursue her passion for painting. In 2017 Ellen built Dogpatch Collective a community of 17 artist studios in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.

    Her large scale watercolors have been exhibited in museums and galleries including De Young Museum, Napa Valley Museum, David Brower Center, Milton Art Museum, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art and Triton Museum. Ellen’s work is included in many private collections as well as the public collections of UCSF Mission Bay, San Francisco CA, University of Iowa, Iowa city IA, Phipps Conservatory Pittsburgh PA, Kaiser Permanente Dublin CA and Redwood City CA.

    Selected Exhibitions
    2023
    Cumulative Views, Randall Museum, San Francisco CA

    2020
    De Young Open, De Young Museum, San Francisco CA
    Art/Act: Local Wildplaces, David Brower Center, Berkeley CA
    Bird Nest Nature, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek CA

    2019
    Backyards and Botanicals, The Gardener, Berkeley, San Francisco, Healdsburgh CA

    2015
    Float Flutter Fly, Village Theatre Art Gallery, Danville CA

    2014
    The Urban Bird Project, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica CA
    Backyards, Botanicals and one Urban Bird, Workshop, Sausalito CA
    Summer National Juried Show, Marin Museum Of Contemporary Art, Novato
    Flora and Form, Gray Loft Gallery, Oakland CA
    Slice, Pence Gallery, Davis CA

    2013
    Backyards and Urban Birds, Napa Valley Library, Napa CA
    Ellen Little: Recent Works, Low Tide Club, Sausalito CA
    Date with the Devil, Napa Valley Museum, Yountville CA
    Spring Group Show, Milton Art Museum, Canton MA
    Left Coast Annual, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica CA
    Return to Simplicity, Piedmont Art Center, Piedmont CA

    2012
    11th Annual Art Inter/National, Box Heart Gallery, Pittsburgh PA
    The Sketchbook Project, Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn NY
    Secret Gardens, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto CA

    2011
    The Backyard Series, Love & Luxe, San Francisco CA

    2010
    Statewide Watercolor Competition, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara CA

    2009
    Bay Area Annual, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica CA

    Selected Awards and Honors
    2014
    Juror’s Award First Place, Slice, Pence Gallery, Davis CA
    2013
    Juror’s Exhibition Award, Left Coast Annual, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica CA
    Award of Merit, Return to Simplicity, Piedmont Art Center, Piedmont CA
    2012
    Best of Show, Secret Gardens, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto CA
    Award of Merit, Fresh Works, Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton CA

    Public Collections
    UCSF Mission Bay, San Francisco CA
    Kaiser Permante, Dublin CA and Redwood City, CA
    University of Iowa Project Art, Medical Museum, Iowa City IA
    Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh PA

    Selected Bibliography

    2014
    http://www.mercurynews.com/pacifica-entertainment/ci_25524949/left-coast-annual-opens-at-sanchez-art-center
    http://events.sfgate.com/pacifica_ca/events/show/370038778-2014-left-coast-annual- juried-exhibition-2013-lca-awards-exhibition

    2012
    Noe Valley Voice, “Open Studios” by Corrie M. Anders, Sept, San Francisco CA
    The Independent, “Harrington Gallery focuses on ‘Fresh Works’”, May 17, Livermore CA

    2011
    Watercolor Artist Magazine, “Ten artists you should know” by Jessica Canterbury, December, Cincinnati OH
    www.ellenlittle.com