Contemporary Art by Dana Ellyn - Discover Unique Narrative Art

DANA ELLYN | contemporary narrative painter from Washington, DC

NEW PAINTINGS

large yellow rubber duck on top of fountain with ducks spitting water

Rubber Duckie

36" x 36" oil on canvas

$700

purchase

Two women on a rocky hill, one carrying the other overhead, embody strength and joy—"We Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy"

Epic Rooster

30" x 44" acrylic on canvas

SOLD

We Must Imagine

Sisyphus Happy

18" x 24" oil on canvas

$480

purchase

A bold woman stands atop chairs in a defiant stance—claiming her space in Seat at the Table, a feminist oil painting by Dana Ellyn.

A Seat At The Table

16" x 20" acrylic on canvas

$310

purchase

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

Woman in Blue Armchair

15" x 16" oil on canvas

$450

purchase

Portrait of Dorothy Parker holding a martini, paired with her iconic quote on drinking and wit. Watercolor and ink, 2025

Martini Math
(Dorothy Parker)

14" x 20" ink/watercolor on mat board

$180

purchase

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

Fever Bloom

12" x 12" acrylic on canvas

$250

purchase

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

GO!

15" x 15" acrylic on mat board

$180

purchase

portrait of a woman in orange and red tones on turquoise background with bee above her head

The Drone

9" x 18" acrylic on mat board

$120

purchase

Three women in swimsuits bend forward in unison beneath giant bees and a honeycomb backdrop, blending order and unease.

Colony Collapse

15" x 19" acrylic on paper

$180

purchase

Fish leap into a deep blue sky as three large bees hover above them; below, water ripples subtly under a dusky horizon.

Migration

20" x 28" acrylic on canvas

$440

purchase

Girl in purple dress holding candy dots and snack, with a bowl of rainbow cereal before a cornfield under a surreal sky.

Artificial Sweetness

12" x 16" oil on canvas

$340

purchase

Still life with glossy red candy apple, white ceramic pitcher, and small neutral-toned bowl on gray tabletop.

Synthetic Still Life

11" x 14" oil on canvas board

$180

purchase

City Girl

16" x 27" acrylic on mat board

$250

purchase

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

Degenerate Artist

18" x 28" acrylic and ink on mat board

$200

purchase

A cheeky, expressive portrait channeling Nixon’s infamous exit, layered over a historic White House food symposium menu.

Pulling a Nixon

5.5" x 8.5" acrylic on White House menu

$45

purchase

Blonde woman in striped shirt with a yawning gray cat on her shoulder, set against a surreal forest of leafless trees and yellow sky.

Cat Whisperer

14" x 18" oil on canvas board

$320

purchase

Blindfolded woman plays chess with red and blue knights, holding a green cocktail, beside a tilted scale and draped green curtains.

Under the Influence

20" x 20" oil on canvas

$520

purchase

a child with a hobby horse standing in confined space. there are sunflowers inside and outside.

All Work. No Play.

12" x 24" oil on canvas board

$340

purchase

Nesting

26" x 40" acrylic on paper

$220

purchase

Industrial bridge structure near NYC, capturing intersecting steel beams, transit, and urban decay in a bold, textured painting.

Crossing the Hudson

12" x 12" acrylic on masonite

$160

purchase

Crossbeam

8" x 8" oil on canvas board

$120

purchase

Oil painting of a girl holding a key near a portrait of her past self, with a crow, robin, and a path leading to a garden.

Secret Garden

18" x 18" oil on canvas

SOLD

Reflecting

12" x 16" oil on canvas

$340

purchase

Concerned looking woman with red hair wearing white tshirt holding bottle of champagne.

Golden Age

24"x24" oil on canvas

$600

purchase

Portrait of Hannah Arendt. She sits on a stool with stark light and shadow reflected on the wall behind her.

Banality

26"x40" acrylic on paper

$290

purchase

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

Symbiotic Relationship

(Grace Hartigan and Frank O'Hara)
19" x 23" oil on canvas

$520

purchase

Meltdown

9"x 12" acrylic on cardboard

$180

purchase

Existential Blossoms

24" x 24" oil on canvas

$520

purchase

purple color scheme portrait of Edgar Allan Poe with 1949 postage stamps collaged under paint

Commemorative Poe

8"x10" acrylic and 1949 stamps on masonite

$260

purchase

more paintings →

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

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

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