Artist, photographer spotlighted artist at Frames & Things

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press 

Copperas Cove artist and retired educator Ellen Dunn has had a unique view of the world through the lens of her camera and shares those images with the help of her home darkroom.

During the month of January, Dunn will be the featured artist at Frames & Things, located in Cove Terrace Shopping Center. 

Dunn, who was a physical education teacher and coach for 40 years prior to retirement from education, takes pride in that she helped start the girls’ volleyball program in Copperas Cove. 

Yet off the court and out of the classroom, she has enjoyed being an adjunct instructor of photography for Central Texas College since 2004, when she was approached to teach photography. 

“I’ve taught black and white, infrared, and digital photography,” Dunn said. “When I started at CTC, digital was still pretty new. I love seeing my students get excited about art.”

Dunn uses a unique perspective to share her photography, which she transforms into fine art pieces which are then framed. 

“I use Velvet fine art paper, an archival paper, to print my photos on in my darkroom,” Dunn said. “Then, I use either ink, paint, or even Prismacolor to add to the prints.” 

Dunn creates a variety of images, from landscapes, to still life, to animals and people, with the technique. 

One closeup photo of her cat, was transformed into a photo-paining with the use of ink and Prismacolor pencils.

Another piece of art, a bunch of grapes, has an almost geometric effect, with designs painted onto the printed photo image of grapes. 

She came up with the technique, and takes her time to create the embellished prints. 

“I just love art, period. I like to experiment with different things,” Dunn said of her work, noting that sometimes she doesn’t know what will develop. 

Dunn said she has used Photoshop to create one image out of multiple photos, then print the photo on the archival paper and add her special touches to the piece, carefully considering the project as she goes along. 

On Friday, January 10, from 8:30-10 a.m., Dunn will be at Frames & Things, which is hosting the monthly Coffee & Commerce held by the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce. There will be a special speaker and Dunn will also share briefly about her work. Dunn’s work will be hanging at the frame shop and gallery for the remainder of the month of January.