 E. L. Whitley is a painter and a writer who uses the canvas as a reference chronicle of her life experiences as seen through the prism of her expansive imagination. Her style became clear through her studies of the masters such as Michelangelo and Van Gogh, but she was most influenced by Salvador Dali. Ms. Whitley is a surrealist. This is shown through the mix of imagery and use of color that defines her art and takes the viewer far beyond reality into a dreamlike world. Her creativity surpasses the “norm” in the way she perceives life. Her fascination is with the forever changes in nature: sky, water and earth. These natural elements are vividly portrayed in her artistic compositions.... E.L. Whitley believes that she was an artist upon conception. Born in her parent’s home in Washington D.C. during the height of the Golden Age of American art (the era of Abstract Expressionism) she can’t remember a time when she wasn’t drawing or doodling…often on her parent’s furnishings as well as on paper. Though determined to maintain art at the center of her life, a crisis during her adult years nearly left her crippled and unable to lift a brush. It was her love for art that provided the impetus for her mental and physical healing. les jardins
Ms. Whitley began her studies at McKinley Technical High School in Washington, D.C. where she studied under the renowned artist, Sam Gilliam. Upon graduation she attended the District of Columbia Teacher’s College where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in art. While at Teacher’s College she studied under another well-known artist, the late Lucille Roberts (later known as “Malkia”).
After graduating, she went on to further her studies in art, taking courses in oil painting and portraiture at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Fascinated with the breadth of possibilities for composition, she later took a course in silk painting, obtaining a certificate of completion at G Street Fabrics in Rockville, Maryland. She would have fully immersed herself in the art world but for the caution given by a parent: “Artists are poor people, and you don’t know anything about being poor.”
Over the next few decades E.L. Whitley combined a career as a teacher with her passion for art. Throughout, she incorporated art as a central context for learning, weaving it into the educational lives of thousands of youths. She understood the importance that art plays in learning because as a young child, she herself was labeled artistically-gifted, given creative tasks throughout the schools, while her core educational development was overlooked by her teachers. It was by contextual learning through art that she overcame those difficulties, she herself emerging as a teacher of Early Childhood Education.
In addition to teaching, E. L. Whitley indulged her talents by creating artwork for the corporation known today as Verizon, as well as for other organizations. She often bartered commissioned work in exchange for professional services. Much of this, however, never came to be after May 1988 when a tragic accident befell her.
While doing artistic theatrical make-up for Howard University’s production of The Wiz in 1988, E.L. Whitley stepped through an elevator door opening and plunged thirteen feet into darkness. Lying in the abyss, she had no idea of what had happened to her. Her right arm had been severed from her shoulder and she was paralyzed on the right side. She had a 50/50 chance for recovery. After 436 days of therapy and prayers, she recovered.
“I was, during that time, totally transformed into something that resembled the "Hunch Back of Notre Dame." I felt all was lost: everything. But, because of my strong faith, tenacity, fortitude and my rejection of being an invalid I prevailed.”
 Serenity
Upon retiring from the District of Columbia Public Schools System in 2008, E.L. Whitley is now residing in Maryland, pursuing her lifelong dream as a full-time artist. She is currently creating a body of work that is centered on the surrealistic theme. Visit the online gallery of E.L. Whitley |
