Preston Hollow Advocate
By Elissa Chudwin
Brad Ellis is taking over the art world, one painting at a time.
Brad Ellis has a knack for the unconventional. After 18 years in advertising for American Airlines, the Preston Hollow neighbor traded his corporate office for a paint-splattered studio in 1997. Ellis has devoted the past 20 years to carving a career as a full-time artist, an ambition many won’t attempt because of its financial instability and competitive nature.
“I really had a calling, and I hate to be that dramatic about it,” he says. “I wanted to make art. I knew I’d never be able to realize my true potential if I didn’t dedicate my full time to it.”
Ellis has garnered attention throughout the country for his abstract work. His paintings are displayed in seven galleries from coast to coast, and one even was selected for Art in Embassies. Adopted by former President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the U.S. Department of State program hosts exhibitions at embassies and consulates across the world. Ellis’ “Dash #2” is on display in Kampala, Uganda for the next two years.
Ellis is content with his accomplishments, he says, but he’s only scratched the surface of his capabilities.
