How to Explore the Artwork Series on barbaraellmann.com

Updated

barbaraellmann.com is the official site of artist Barbara Ellmann, and it organizes her work into named categories rather than a single gallery. According to the site's own description, those categories are: Painting Grids, Individual Paintings, Abstract Sewn Drawings (ASD), Digital Prints, "Game Board" Drawings, and "Parcheesi" Prints. If you already know which of these you want to see, go straight to that category; if you don't, the list itself is the fastest way to decide, because each name signals a distinct medium or format.

Start with the category list, not the images

The site presents its work as a set of labeled series. That matters for navigation: you are not scrolling one continuous portfolio, you are choosing between bodies of work that differ in process and output.

Category What the name tells you Likely reason to open it
Painting Grids Paintings built on a grid structure You want structured, geometric painting
Individual Paintings Standalone paintings, not part of a series You want single works rather than a system
Abstract Sewn Drawings (ASD) Drawings made by sewing, abstract You want textile/thread-based work
Digital Prints Prints produced digitally You want reproducible, print-format work
"Game Board" Drawings Drawings referencing game boards You want work with a game/board logic
"Parcheesi" Prints Prints referencing Parcheesi You want the print work tied to that specific board game

How to tell series work from individual work

The distinction is built into the labels, so use them literally:

  • Series work is named as a system — Painting Grids, Abstract Sewn Drawings, "Game Board" Drawings, "Parcheesi" Prints. Expect recurring structure across multiple pieces.
  • Individual Paintings is the category for one-off paintings. If a work isn't part of a named series, this is where it belongs.

A practical rule: if you are researching a process (grids, sewing, game-board logic), open the series categories. If you are looking at a single painting on its own terms, open Individual Paintings.

Using the site as a navigation entry point

Treat barbaraellmann.com as an index rather than a feed:

  1. Read the category names first and pick the medium you care about — painting, sewn drawing, or print.
  2. Open that category and look at the works as a group before judging any single piece, since series work is meant to be read together.
  3. Cross over to a related category when a process interests you — for example, from "Game Board" Drawings to "Parcheesi" Prints, since both draw on board-game imagery.
  4. If you arrived looking for a specific known work rather than a category, start with Individual Paintings, then check the series categories.

Common sticking points

  • Expecting a conventional online shop or gallery flow. The site is organized by artwork category, not by price, availability, or checkout. Nothing in the site's description indicates pricing or purchasing options, so don't assume a buying path exists.
  • Confusing ASD with painting. Abstract Sewn Drawings are a separate category from the paintings; if you want thread and stitching, stay in ASD.
  • Treating the prints as one group. Digital Prints, "Game Board" Drawings, and "Parcheesi" Prints are listed separately, so check each rather than assuming one print section covers all of them.

If your goal is simply to see what Barbara Ellmann makes, the category list is the answer: six named bodies of work spanning painting, sewn drawing, and digital print. Pick by medium or by process, and the site's own labels will take you to the right set.