Summer Ellis, Dublin Artist making an impact with Encaustics, Education and Empowerment of Girls

Summer Ellis is an artist, educator and “Girls on the Run” coach and is using her diverse skill set and experiences as a military wife to make a positive impact in the lives around her.

Summer describes herself as a beach girl and her Etsy profile outlines her journey into creating her art and jewelry from sea glass. She writes “Upon moving to New England I was introduced to sea glass and fell in love. These little jewels, worn by time and the sea, hold a bit of history in each one. I amassed quite a collection and was thinking of a way to display them so I purchased a salvaged window and began my first sea glass project. I loved it so much I quickly made four more. The technique I use preserves the opaque quality and the tactile experience of the glass. When placed on a window sill or well lighted area the glass just glows!”

Her high energy, enthusiasm and outgoing nature is evident as she describes her daily activities and her drive to nurture and grow others with the work she does. A special education teacher by training she thrives in environments where she is making a difference and enjoys drawing people in with her work.

Besides her “Mommy and Me” art classes she has also done yoga with kids, fitness classes and is a coach for soccer as well as a running coach for the “Girls on the Run” Program. She first became aware of the “Girls on the Run” program when based in Virginia and her arrival in Dublin connected her with the “Month of the Military Child” activities in Camp Parks which then led to the establishment of the first chapter of the program in the East Bay last Spring. Volunteers for the “Girls on the Run” program include female military personnel as well as parent coaches recruited from the community. Girls on the Run inspires girls to take charge of their lives and define the future on their terms.

The “Girls on the Run” group from Dublin joined others from all over the Bay Area for a communal run involving around 2700 participants. The Dublin group of 16 girls were joined by their selected “buddies” (individuals chosen by each girl to support them) for the run. The wonderful energy, camaraderie and team spirit of the Dublin group was displayed as they led the larger group in team cheers before the run. Summer will be coaching another group next Spring and is hoping that the next group will have even greater enrolment numbers as the girls found the training so enjoyable and empowering.

Summer’s encaustic work is a relatively new passion. “This ancient painting technique brings the dream like quality to my original photography. Each of my photos are reflective of my love of the ocean, and sometimes my love of California! Using encaustic medium to build texture and depth to the photos I hope to create a sense of the feeling of these amazing places,” she says.

Her work will be on display at the Bothwell Arts Center Art Walk in Livermore Art this Saturday, October 14 and also at the Dublin Art Collective Networking Meeting on October 22, 2017.

She adds “Being a military wife and mother of three means I am almost always busy and often overwhelmed by the speed and joy this life brings. Creativity is restorative and a big part of who I am.”

When asked how she manages to find time for her artwork in her busy schedule she admits that is isn’t easy to wedge art into the day. She however believes that it’s important for Moms to take time for themselves and ‘fill their own buckets’. Having younger children makes it especially difficult to have creative time but giving yourself some time can be so revitalizing. Summer says “it’s really helpful to have a friend to motivate and to do activities with you and that’s why it’s so important that women support and nurture each other.”

By Vanessa Thomas

Dublin Art Collective

Photo credit: Summer Ellis