Ella Blame
Ella Blame grew up in a musical family but art was always an equally important part of her life. She lived in Munich and Berlin, Germany and Vienna, Austria before immigrating to the United States, choosing Wisconsin as her home. Kandinsky, Schiele, Kubin, Kirchner, and Jawlensky were important influences from an early age. Ella's works span from nature studies, surreal and abstract compositions to figurative and surreal expressionism. Although she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany, she is primarily self-taught. Ella Blame explores inner and outer worlds, creating a vivid conversation between the finished and unfinished, the raw and the detailed, darkness and light and everything in between. Her works can be found in private collections across the USA, Europe, and Australia.
Ella Blame released three albums, "Ineffable Desire", "Bitter Tears" and "Unreleased", the singles "Lunatic", "Play A Game With Me", "The Stars", "Dancing Angel", "Overture", "Game Of Love", "For So Long" and "Embrace", as well as "Improvisations" (vocals and violin), "The Call" (violin) and "Lament" (violin). She is collaborating with musicians from around the globe. Let yourself be enticed into another world by Ella's unique and magic voice and ethereal and psychedelic sounds.
Notes from the Studio radio interview with David John Dietrich
David: We are talking about music and painting and how they are related. Why don't you begin by telling us how you got started in the arts.
Ella: I was told by my parents that I began to draw as soon as I could hold a pencil in my hands. I don’t remember that but I remember me drawing and painting at an early age. It was just always important to me. I would bring my drawing and painting utensils with me when we went on vacation. I worked from my imagination but I also began early to draw what I saw in nature or just in my room or the flowers on our balcony etc. I also remember that I created a book when I was about five years old. It was a story about crayons that traveled the world.
David: What opportunities did you have that lead you to success in both your art and your life?
Ella: My parents did encourage me being an artist and musician. That was probably the most important opportunity. But overall, I mostly went the hard route. I could have made a lot of things differently but I didn’t and I am not looking back. And I never agreed to change my style which especially applies to my musical work. There were opportunities but I wouldn’t have been able to do my own thing.
David: How about hardships. Is there anything you can tell us about something you had to overcome in order to pursue art?
Ella: I don’t know. I always keep going, keep creating. There were times when I was ill for a long time but I did still create, even when I was in a hospital bed. In fact, I created all works for my diploma in a hospital bed. Or when my first partner died and then years later my second partner. Then my world stood still and it took me a long time to recover. Both times I thought “This is it, I am done, I am too tired to continue, to start over”. But I did continue, I did start over, I continued to create.
David: How does music play a role in your paintings?
Ella: I see and feel rhythm in a painting. Also sounds but it is more about rhythm. And music inspires my work as an artist and vice versa.
David: Do you have any advice for young artists starting off?
Ella: Do your thing. Don’t expect people to love what you do. Don’t expect success, just create.