Brennan Ellis - Artist Page

08/20/2026

08/14/2026

Friends, family, clients, and supporters of my work!

You have a chance to weigh in on my art and help me win something…and also enter yourself into a chance to win a two-night stay at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National, generously provided by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

See instructions below.

The artist receiving the most votes will be named the 2026 Art on the River People’s Choice Award Winner and will receive The People’s Choice Award, with the winner revealed at the Collector Preview Gala on October 23rd.

Now, full disclosure: It costs at least $10, so it’s not a free vote. But, as we say in church parlance, “if you feel so led to give” 😂, then I’d certainly appreciate all the help I can get.

Happy Friday!

🏆🎨 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD VOTING IS NOW OPEN!

Who will be YOUR People’s Choice?

You don’t have to know the artists to vote. The art can make the decision for you. ❤️

When you visit our voting page, you’ll find three images representing each participating artist’s work, giving you a chance to browse the art, discover artists you may have never seen before, and decide which work speaks to you most.

👀 Look through the artwork.
❤️ Find an artist whose work catches your attention.
🏆 Cast your vote.

🎨 HOW VOTING WORKS

$10 = 10 votes for the artist YOU choose.

When you select an artist and cast a $10 vote, all 10 votes automatically go to that artist.

Want to support another artist? You can cast another $10 vote for them.

🌿 AND YOUR VOTE COULD SEND YOU ON A GETAWAY!

Every $10 vote also gives you ONE entry into our drawing for aTWO-NIGHT STAY at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National, generously provided by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

This is more than a hotel stay, it’s a resort getaway featuring championship Robert Trent Jones golf, a beautiful resort spa, pools, dining, tennis and pickleball, walking and biking paths, and the gorgeous Grand National setting.

🏆 WHAT DOES THE WINNING ARTIST RECEIVE?

The artist with the most votes will be named the 2026 Art on the River People’s Choice Award Winner, including:

🏆 People’s Choice Award, with the winner revealed at the Art on the River Collector Preview Gala on October 23

📖 A full artist feature + interview in the May 2027 issue of Art on the River Magazine as the People’s Choice Award Winner

🌐 Special recognition on Art on the River’s website and social media

And the distinction that means perhaps the most:

The public saw their work, and chose it. ❤️

Every vote also supports artists of all ages and helps Elevated Earth continue developing arts programs, exhibitions, and opportunities.

🎨 $10 = 10 votes for your chosen artist
🎟️ + 1 entry to win the two-night resort getaway

VIEW THE ARTISTS + CAST YOUR VOTE:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/viewers-choice-voting

The resort getaway drawing will be held at the Art on the River Collector Preview Gala on October 23, 2026. You do not have to be present to win.

Browse the art. Find your favorite. Make your choice.🎨🏆

07/13/2026

I’m excited to announce that I have accepted an invitation to be a participating artist in Art on the River, October 23-24.

Five (possibly six) of my narrative originals will be on display for sale.

🎨 “The Provider”
🎨 “Nearing Home”
🎨 “Don’t Tell Your Mama!”
🎨 “Beyond the Scoreboard”
🎨 “Blue Moon Over Downtown Troy”

I’m working on the details for signed prints to be available as well.

Grateful for this opportunity, and overwhelmed by what a great year this has been - and the second half has barely begun!

Check them out at artontheriver.org

07/01/2026

Hey y’all, and welcome to my page!

Born and raised amid the peanut fields and pecan groves of Southeast Alabama, I began drawing at an early age (4 years old, maybe?) with whatever instrument and on whatever paper was available - usually, a ball point pen on lined notebook paper! My parents recognized my potential and put me in art lessons at age 8. I took art all the way through school, through senior year, culminating in AP Art. But after high school? Life got busy with college, then marriage, then kids. And I just kind of let it all lapse. Until one day, 17 years later, I found myself drawing cartoon characters for my kids with crayons. I thought, “I miss this.” So I invested in some better colored pencils and began drawing for fun again, posting my work to Facebook. Less than six months later, I had my first commission request, which led to five more for Christmas that year. Three years later, here I am. God is good, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to use this talent to be a source of light and goodness in this world. The most rewarding thing about this is when people tell me how much of an impact my work had on them.

I’ve been married to my wife for nearly 13 years, and we have two beautiful, school-aged children, both of whom are great artists themselves! We are so proud of them. I graduated Cum Laude from Troy University with a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism.

🎨ARTISTIC METHOD & PHILOSOPHY:
I use either graphite pencil (black and white) or colored pencil for all of my works, emphasis on the latter.

But throw out what you think you know about “drawing with colored pencils!” I use a painterly technique that honestly has more in common with oil on canvas than any conventional “drawing,” and my works often get mistaken for oil paintings.

There are essentially two elements to my artistic pursuits:

I’m a portraitist specializing in pets, people, and architecture. As of July 2026, I have completed 56 projects since October 2023. Most of these have been pet portraits, and I’ve developed a unique style there. These original drawings become the property of the owner upon completion.

The other part of what I do is original, inspired works intended to be sold for prints, and for submission to competitions and galleries.

My inspired work might be described as “emotionally accessible realism.” Some of my inspirations include Norman Rockwell, Edward Hopper, and Terry Redlin. I believe art, done properly, should challenge boundaries and cause the viewer to ponder. I believe in portraying the human condition, in all of its messiness and nuance. Some of my works are happy and whimsical. Others may be dark and deep. We should not hold back, nor self censor. My work is not afraid of “going there,” addressing tough subjects. I am never afraid to let the viewer wrestle with the tension within, believing that life is nuanced. Therefore, I often don’t attempt to offer tidy resolutions. It is my hope and prayer that my works will inspire viewers and fans to think deeply and sit with the tension therein.

🎸FAVORITE MUSIC:
I have an incredibly diverse taste, and a list of what I don’t like would be shorter.

Any 80’s or 90’s country that I grew up on, the nostalgic overload of George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alabama, Travis Tritt, all of the “hat acts” etc. (If you don’t belt out “Friends in Low Places” with the window down, can we really be friends? Kidding!)

Classic rock & roll: Bruce Springsteen (big fan!), U2, Pink Floyd, Kansas, John Denver.

Crossover classical/pop: Michael Buble. Josh Groban. Andrea Bocelli. Celine Dion. The Piano Guys.

Any of the classics from the big band era: Love some Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin...

Old hymns, especially the theological depth and aesthetic beauty of the Wesleyan hymns.

Like I said, my tastes are all over the place!

🎥FAVORITE MOVIES:
It's A Wonderful Life. Saving Private Ryan. The Patriot. Schindler’s List. Goodfellas. Hoosiers. The Shawshank Redemption. John Q. Remember the Titans. Rudy. Radio. Home Alone.

🛶HOBBIES, OTHER THAN ART?
Hiking! I don’t get to go as much as I’d like, but there’s nothing like a scenic trail on a beautiful day. Nature photography. Kayaking. Reading. Fishing. Language learning (currently working on Italian, with plans to learn Spanish later!) I get a lot out of serving as a deacon and head usher at my church. And of course, spending time with my family and making sweet memories with them.

🏈FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS:
The Troy Trojans will always be my top college sports team, proud alumnus here. For cultural and family reasons, I’m also an Alabama fan. For pro sports: the Atlanta Braves, Green Bay Packers, and the Nashville Predators. I’ll confess that I don’t follow regular season pro sports much until playoff time, so I’m probably a fair weather fan there!

🍝VARIOUS & SUNDRY:
October to December is my favorite time of year. Love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and all things fall. Summer is okay, but I tolerate it until it’s time for fall again! I’m a cool weather person.

I’m very food adventurous, and I say I’ll try anything with an open mind once. I like any kind of Italian food, and I could eat that just about anytime.

Favorite outfit? A long sleeved button down, sport coat, dark jeans, and my cowboy boots.

HOW DO I COMMISSION YOU?
Contact info is provided here. An updated price list is pinned on my page. I take a limited number of commissions per year, but I'd love to take a look at your request and see what I can do for you!

06/21/2026

“The Provider”
©️2026. Colored pencil. Brennan Ellis.

The dawning of midlife ushers in a complex cocktail of emotions. Every adult eventually has that moment of sobering reality: That real life isn’t always as black-and-white as the younger, more idealistic versions of ourselves thought it would be.

The character depicted here is not a man in despair. No, he is not spiraling. To the contrary, he is blessed, and he knows it. He loves his family. He is grateful for the life he has built: A wife, lovely children, a great career, and a beautiful home.

But he is also exhausted. And after getting home from work, before he goes inside, he just needs a minute.

He is caught between two deep, conflicting emotions: Deep gratitude for what he has…and yet, a quiet grief for the loss of the younger version of himself that once felt more fun, more spontaneous, more adventurous, more….alive.

Constantly needed? Oh, absolutely. At work. At home. In his community.

He is the fixer, the steady hand, the loyal friend, the one who puts out the fires, the calm voice who assures his wife and kids - with a confident smile - that “everything is going to be alright”…even when he’s internally just as scared as they are.

“The Provider” explores the complicated beauty of a life that, from the outside, appears “Instagram perfect.” It invites viewers to sit with the tension of the old maxim, “Two things can be true at once.”

Because even blessings have weight. Even love asks something of us. And even when a man finally gets everything that he ever wanted, it’s possible to still wrestle with that gnawing existential ache that’s ever present, yet he doesn’t quite know how to process or name it.

On Father’s Day, we often celebrate dads with jokes about grills, golf, recliners, and bad puns — and honestly, I’m here for it.

But, I also want to make space for the side of fatherhood for which the saccharine, sanitized, Hallmark version doesn’t do justice.

And so, here’s to the dads, the good men out there who keep showing up, even when it’s hard…who carry more burdens than they’ll ever admit — more than they feel they can talk about to anyone.

To those feel pulled in every direction, yet still walk through the door with a smile, and serve others selflessly.

You are seen. Your worth is measured in things far greater than what you provide. And your family loves and appreciates you far more than you realize. Don’t you ever forget it!

Happy Father’s Day.

05/28/2026

Up early this morning, working on the next project. Here, I have my color palette mapped out. It’s going to be a true original, narrative piece (non commissioned). It’s rich with a lot of warm colors - in one area.

As we approach Father’s Day, I think it’s a message that will be an emotional gut punch, that will resonate for a lot of dads.

And that’s all you’re going to get out of me. 🤫🤐 Stay tuned…

05/28/2026

Another project completed for a wonderful family! ✅👍🏻✍🏼

Commissions now being accepted on a limited basis. See investment guide for details.

05/24/2026

05/24/2026

Humbled. Blown Away. Surprised. Grateful. Still pumped.

The Alabama The Beautiful juried exhibition at the Johnson Center for the Arts concluded Thursday night with the artists’ reception…

…and I can now announce that….it was my honor to take home FIRST PLACE for my piece, “Blue Moon Over Downtown Troy.”

While I had a few pieces in the county fair back in middle and high school, this was my first attempt at an exhibition for adults/professionals.

I think at this point, colored pencil - made to look like oil on canvas - is my forte. I love the medium, the way that it allows for sharp, precision details and excellent blending. While my pieces are technically drawings, the techniques used have little in common with drawing as it’s usually understood. It has way more in common with oil painting. And given how frequently they get mistaken for paintings…well, I asked a friend in a text yesterday, “at what point do I just roll with it and call them that?” 😂

I want to take a moment to recognize all of the artists who were accepted into this exhibition. There was a whole lot of talent in that room. And while I am blessed to have been selected for the first prize, I want to be clear that ANY one of these great folks would’ve been worthy of this. Their talent, heart, and dedication to their craft commands my respect.

All glory to God, who gives me the strength and talent to do what I do. Let’s just say there are many moments when I’ve stared at the paper and my mind is like, “I’m stumped. Help me.” And yet, it always works out beautifully in the end, and that’s not due to any genius on my part, but through the hand and creativity of the Creator who guides me.

To my wife and girls, this moment belongs to y’all as well. Thank you for understanding when I need to shut my door and work hard to meet a deadline for a commission. For being there for me through the late nights, and the brutal emotional whiplash that sometimes comes with this lifestyle. Thank you, girls, for your sweet bragging on your daddy. You probably talk me up far beyond what I deserve, but know that it’s always cherished. And I don’t care if I someday sell a piece for millions. Nothing makes me more fulfilled than sitting down and drawing with you kiddos.

To Mama and Dad, thank you for realizing this potential in me early on and encouraging me to create, not merely consume. I was probably mad at you for not getting me the Nintendo back in the day and making me draw pictures instead. But today? I see the wisdom in that.

My friends! So many of y’all! With the caveat of, “I can’t name everyone because I’m afraid I’ll forget someone and that would be bad,” I’ll refrain from that. But if you’re still reading this long missive at this point, you’re probably one of my people, lol. I appreciate those of you who have commissioned my work in these last 2.5 years, for showing up and taking a chance on me before I’d even really proven myself. And most of all, for the many kind words. I love it when you pull me aside at a football game, or a kids’ field trip, or the cereal aisle at Publix to tell me how much my art inspires you. I promise you that this will never get old, and I know that I will NEVER be so busy that I won’t take all the time you need to chat - and enjoy every bit of it - because that’s what it’s all about. I hope I convey that well enough!

Love y’all. Thanks for everything! On to whatever the next step in this adventure brings…