My name is Eeli-Ethel Polli and I am native Estonian artist who is living and working in Denmark. I moved to Denmark 11 years ago, married Danish photographer Rune and have two lovely sons Tristan and Oliver.

I have always been creative, been grown up in artist family, father, mother, 2 grandparents and my sister are artists. I started to paint beside my father when I was 4 years old, went to art schools and studied art in university in Tallinn.

Beside my artist life, I have been working 15 years as news graphic designer and illustrator in different newspapers and news agency MCT Information Services and now I design also big interior wallpapers to different companies.

In the moment I work mostly with acrylic mixed media paintings, I use newspapers, acrylic paint, paperclips, my own drawings, watercolors, old letters, and photos to create a new artwork. Why is my work special, I take some elements of my old paintings, drawings, found elements and make some new compositions. I use transfer- and watercolor-technique to paint my paintings layer onto layer. I paint so many layers until I have a finished piece.

I am fascinated of colors. I find inspiration in daily life and ideas just come to me. I am not waiting for an inspiring day; I just start working, also if I only paint dots.

Date of birth: Tartu, Estonia, October 7, 1973. Been living in Denmark since 2000.

Selection of exhibitions:

2010 December-January, Christmas-New Year Exhibition in Copenhagen, Gallery Krebsen, Denmark.
2009 May, Open House exhibition in Brighton, U.K.
2009 April, Vendsyssel eastern exhibition, Hjørring (juried exhibition)
2008 October, Art Society Limfjord juried fall exhibition, Struer (juried exhibition)
2008 September, Danfoss art society
2008 July 11 - August 24, International Watercolour Biennial “Baltic Bridges. Displacements” in Kaunas, Lithuania (juried exhibition)
2008 May, VK-Udstilling in Holbæk (juried exhibition)
2008 February, Danske Bank Langenaes department in Aarhus
2007-2008 November-January, Group exhibitions ”After the Fall” in GalleryV58 in Aarhus
2007-2008 December-February, Citygallery in Viljandi, Estonia
2007 August, Silkeborg Cityhall art society
2007 August, Gallery Indigo in Tallinn
2007 Spring, Esbjerg Implant Center
2007 April-May, Danske Bank Sondre department in Aarhus
2006-2007 December-January, Sydvestjysk Hospital art society in Esbjerg
2003-2006 Aarhus Art Academy Gallery
2005 November, Gallery Indigo in Tallinn, Estonia
2002 December, Business Center in Tallinn
2000 June, TEA Language school in Tallinn
1999 June, Art Gallery in Pedagogical University in Tallinn
1993-2000 every summer Art Marked in Tallinns old town
Sold to private collectors

Education:

1993-99 BA in art, art education og and psychology, Tallinn University in Estonia (Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Art)
2012 Creative Courage e-course, teacher Stephanie Levy
2012 Find Your passion e-course, teacher coach Pernille Melsted
2011 Blogging Your Way e-course, teacher Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring
2010 Acryl Mixed Media course in Aarhus, teacher Line Juhl Hansen
2008 Photo emulsion course in Højbjerg Photografical Studio, teacher Inge Lise Rasmussen
2003-2007 Watercolour-course in Aarhus Art Academy, teacher Lis Walter
2002 Photo-course in Aarhus City school, teacher Ulla Jensen
1996 Tree-sculpture workshop in Estonia
1994 Snow-sculpture workshop in Estonia
1993 Spring, Art-course in Vraa National (Folk) school
Different design-workshops in Germany, Denmark and Spain

Bodies of work: Acryl-mixed media collage pictures, nature inspired oil- and acrylic paintings and commissioned works by private individuals

Traveling: Longer trips to U.S. Norway, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Italy, France, Spain, U.K., Austria, Holland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania

Work: Illustrator MCT Graphics Europe until 2009 (before KRT Graphics Europe), Estonian newspapers Postimees, Eesti Päevaleht and news magazine Luup, art teacher in different art schools in Tallinn.

Publications, memberships, prizes:

2002 Postimees (biggest newspaper in Estonia), article about solo-exhibition
Nordic Watercolour Society member
Society for Newsdesing Scandinavias (SNDs) member
Reuters illustrator prize, 1998
Malofiej World news graphics awards, 2000-2006