Dana Ellyn | Contemporary Narrative Painter | Washington, DC - Provocative Paintings. Powerful Stories.

DANA ELLYN | contemporary narrative painter from Washington, DC

NEW PAINTINGS

Painting of a DC artist at her easel overlooking a protest near the U.S. Capitol, by Dana Ellyn, 2025.

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Figurative painting of two women in a dark interior holding a candle and a phone, suggesting ritual, attention, and contrasting forms of illumination.

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portrait of young girl in panda costume and her dog in a unicorn outfit

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a woman with expressive brushstrokes holding a drink and casting a distinct shadow on yellow wall

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a woman with expressive brushstrokes holding a drink and casting a distinct shadow on yellow wall

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Chinatown by Dana Ellyn, 24×30 oil painting inspired by the colors and shapes of the Friendship Archway in Washington DC’s Chinatown.

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Abstract bullfight-inspired painting with bold red, blue, and earth tones, layered gestural lines, and horn-like forms suggesting movement and confrontation.

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Chinatown by Dana Ellyn, 24×30 oil painting inspired by the colors and shapes of the Friendship Archway in Washington DC’s Chinatown.

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Chinatown by Dana Ellyn, 24×30 oil painting inspired by the colors and shapes of the Friendship Archway in Washington DC’s Chinatown.

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Chinatown by Dana Ellyn, 24×30 oil painting inspired by the colors and shapes of the Friendship Archway in Washington DC’s Chinatown.

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Abstract painting in blue, red, yellow, and black with layered geometric forms and expressive lines suggesting fractured structures and movement.

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Abstract painting in blue, red, yellow, and black with layered geometric forms and expressive lines suggesting fractured structures and movement.

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Abstract painting with layered earth tones, reds, and black linework suggesting compressed figures and collective tension.

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Abstract acrylic painting titled Brooklyn Winter with layered geometric forms in muted blues, grays, pinks, and ochres suggesting urban winter atmosphere.

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Abstract painting of overlapping figures gathered around a piano, suggesting a singalong and shared moment of music.

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Abstract figurative painting of a curved figure cradling a small form, expressed through layered color and gestural line.

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Abstract figures layered together, evoking childhood memory and summers in the Catskills through soft overlapping forms.

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Abstract painting where a bird and a bee form emerge from layered palette paint, with expressive color, texture, and intuitive mark-making.

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Abstract figures layered together, evoking childhood memory and summers in the Catskills through soft overlapping forms.

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Abstract painting with layered blue, green, red and cream shapes suggesting buildings, water, figures and movement.

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Abstract painting of two interwoven figures with curving black lines and yellow-blue tones, symbolizing human connection.

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Abstract painting of a group of ravens in blue, black, and violet tones by artist Dana Ellyn.

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Patient by Dana Ellyn (2025) – expressive portrait in bold red, capturing resilience, emotion, and quiet strength.

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young girl with exaggerated yellow hair and making a duck face expression and holding a rubber duck toy

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Painting titled “State of the Union” by Dana Ellyn showing a young girl holding flowers before the demolished East Wing of the White House, with children swinging over the ruins.

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Portrait of Dorothy Parker holding a martini, with her famous quote handwritten beside her. Mixed media painting by Dana Ellyn.

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Portrait of a DC woman under a jet-streaked sky, wearing a Strangelove tee and DC tattoo. A personal, political state of mind.

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Painting titled “Equilibrium” by Dana Ellyn showing a seated woman in quiet thought with floating turtles in the sky, symbolizing balance and harmony.

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Abstract painting of two interwoven figures with curving black lines and yellow-blue tones, symbolizing human connection.

Painting of children playing on a slide with a looming ghostlike child figure and a yellow wind-up duck in the foreground.

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Hold That Thought

16" x 20" ink on watercolor board

$140

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Portrait of a woman in a turquoise party hat and red shirt, her face half in shadow, expressing quiet strength and optimism.

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Portrait of a woman in a blue party hat against a red and white background, her expression caught between strength and weariness.

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Dana Ellyn’s “Broken” (2025), a figurative oil painting from a loft bed vantage showing Matt Sesow convalescing in a chair under a blue blanket.

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A young girl clutches a patched teddy bear among other damaged toys against a pink pig-patterned backdrop.

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Painting titled Snipped (Freedom of Speech, Strings Attached) showing a child puppeteer cutting strings to silence a marionette.

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“Escaping the Hive by Dana Ellyn, a painting of a central figure breaking free from swarm and conformity of the hive mind.”

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Painting of a woman laughing in a red chair, holding a tipped wine glass, in a turquoise room with floral curtains, inspired by DC Home Rule.

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Painting of three figures at a White House podium in elaborate, Hunger Games–style costumes, merging political theater with Capitol opulence

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ainting of a man sleepwalking through a sunny orchard with oversized apples and peaches, a window to more fruit trees behind him.

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North by Southwest — Hitchcockian tension meets ICE farm raids in California’s fields.

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Painting of Grace Hartigan laughing with Frank O’Hara, who holds a red pen, capturing their artistic bond.

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Woman sits curled on a red chair, facing a dog and cat in a cozy room with velvet curtains and a single exposed lightbulb.

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Woman in red sits poised in green chair, surrounded by cats, beneath a skylight. A quiet moment of strength and stillness. — Danielle in the Cats' Den
22" x 22" oil on canvas
$550

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Modern reinterpretation of Cassatt’s "Woman in a Blue Armchair"—a bold nude portrait with cats and confident female gaze.

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GO! by Dana Ellyn – expressive painting of a crouching girl mid-laugh, caught between hysteria and urgency, with bold colors and a commanding arrow.

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Watercolor painting of a girl standing tall on a post—poised, resilient, and elevated above the noise in a moment of quiet power — The View From Here
14" x 30" ink/acrylic on mat board
$130

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Witness is an original 5×7 ink and watercolor painting by Dana Ellyn—an ethereal, haunting portrait.

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Watercolor painting of a girl standing tall on a post—poised, resilient, and elevated above the noise in a moment of quiet power — go to
Small Works
Under $100

Expressive portrait of a woman with wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and red flowers in her dark hair, set against a vivid teal background.

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Expressive self-portrait of an artist gripping a jar of paintbrushes, with paint water spilling over her hands, evoking artistic struggle.

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A colorful expressive painting of a woman seated at a table with flowers and a drink, rendered in bold abstract brushstrokes.

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more paintings →

Dana Ellyn is a full-time painter based in Washington, DC.

She typically creates several new paintings each week, posting them here upon completion.