Special Projects
"Forever in Bloom" ©2019 Ellen Silva
Size: 10' x 114', acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: CPMC at Davies Campus, Noe and Castro Streets, San Francisco
Size: 10' x 114', acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: CPMC at Davies Campus, Noe and Castro Streets, San Francisco
"Rescue, Rehab, Release" ©2019 Ellen Silva
Size: 120' x 9', Acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva with 40 volunteers
Location: Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkite, Sausalito
Size: 120' x 9', Acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva with 40 volunteers
Location: Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkite, Sausalito
California Natives ©2014 Ellen Silva
Size: 9.5' x 8.5', Acrylic on sheetrock
Design Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: Mid-Peninsula Housing, Community Room, San Mateo
Size: 9.5' x 8.5', Acrylic on sheetrock
Design Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: Mid-Peninsula Housing, Community Room, San Mateo
"Orinda Historical Landmarks" ©Ellen Silva 2012
Size: 23' x 6'
Re-design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Parks and Recreation Dept., City of Orinda, Orinda, CA
Size: 23' x 6'
Re-design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Parks and Recreation Dept., City of Orinda, Orinda, CA
Narrative
Stopped by the park early today on my out to see the mural. Oh my, what brilliance! Fantastic effort! And the kindergym wall is the perfect location! Just great, all around. Please thank all involved, especially Ellen.
— Charles Vollmar, Former Board Member, Orinda Historical Society History Tour Docent
"Wowie, zowie, Ellen, I couldn't believe it—it looks so great on the wall! I went see the mural before the City Council meeting, and it absolutely looks fantastic. Congratulations, all I'm hearing is good things about it! I had to call you and tell you how wonderful it looks!
— Lucy Hupp Williams, President, Orinda Historical Society
I did stop by and saw the mural and it is beautiful! I hope Orinda does a ‘christening’ ceremony. Ellen did a beautiful job on this piece and I am sure everyone is so pleased….I loved the new additions! Great job by all!
Many thanks,
— Marty de Laveaga Stewart
The mural is up as of this afternoon! We were able to check it out and it looks great. The location is terrific and the mural is now easily the visual highlight of the park. It's wonderful to see this come to fruition!
— Susan Garell, President, Orinda Arts Council
I saw members of the public already drawn to the vivid imagery, studying the mural! Looks fantastic there!
— Susan Mautner, VP of Public Art & Community Relations, Orinda Arts Council
Ellen, I am just thrilled with the new Orinda Historical Mural recently hung on the Kinder Gym wall in the Orinda Community Center Park. It is a beautiful reproduction of the original mural hung at the BART Station, only updated and even better! You are to be commended for your excellent efforts in helping to visually bring Orinda History to all of us in Orinda and beyond!
— Kay Norman, member of Orinda Historic Landmarks Committee
— Charles Vollmar, Former Board Member, Orinda Historical Society History Tour Docent
"Wowie, zowie, Ellen, I couldn't believe it—it looks so great on the wall! I went see the mural before the City Council meeting, and it absolutely looks fantastic. Congratulations, all I'm hearing is good things about it! I had to call you and tell you how wonderful it looks!
— Lucy Hupp Williams, President, Orinda Historical Society
I did stop by and saw the mural and it is beautiful! I hope Orinda does a ‘christening’ ceremony. Ellen did a beautiful job on this piece and I am sure everyone is so pleased….I loved the new additions! Great job by all!
Many thanks,
— Marty de Laveaga Stewart
The mural is up as of this afternoon! We were able to check it out and it looks great. The location is terrific and the mural is now easily the visual highlight of the park. It's wonderful to see this come to fruition!
— Susan Garell, President, Orinda Arts Council
I saw members of the public already drawn to the vivid imagery, studying the mural! Looks fantastic there!
— Susan Mautner, VP of Public Art & Community Relations, Orinda Arts Council
Ellen, I am just thrilled with the new Orinda Historical Mural recently hung on the Kinder Gym wall in the Orinda Community Center Park. It is a beautiful reproduction of the original mural hung at the BART Station, only updated and even better! You are to be commended for your excellent efforts in helping to visually bring Orinda History to all of us in Orinda and beyond!
— Kay Norman, member of Orinda Historic Landmarks Committee
"Welcome to Our Half Moon Bay Community" © 2010 Ellen Silva
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on MDO board
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce, Main Street, Half Moon Bay
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on MDO board
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce, Main Street, Half Moon Bay
"Compassion, Not Judgement" ©2008 Ellen Silva
Size: 7.5' x 32', acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: St. Francis Center, Redwood City, CA
Size: 7.5' x 32', acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: St. Francis Center, Redwood City, CA
Dante's Inferno ©2005 Ellen Silva/Susan Cervantes
Size: 12' x 30' acrylic on sheetrock
Design/Painting by: Susan Cervantes/Ellen Silva
Location: Dante Building, St/ Mary's College, Moraga, CA
Size: 12' x 30' acrylic on sheetrock
Design/Painting by: Susan Cervantes/Ellen Silva
Location: Dante Building, St/ Mary's College, Moraga, CA
Dante's Purgatorio ©2006 Ellen Silva/Susan Cervantes
Size: 12' x 30' acrylic on sheetrock
Design/Painting by: Susan Cervantes/Ellen Silva
Location: Dante Building, St/ Mary's College, Moraga, CA
Size: 12' x 30' acrylic on sheetrock
Design/Painting by: Susan Cervantes/Ellen Silva
Location: Dante Building, St/ Mary's College, Moraga, CA
Dante's Paradiso ©2006 Ellen Silva/Susan Cervantes
Size: 12' x 30' acrylic on sheetrock
Design/Painting by: Susan Cervantes/Ellen Silva
Location: Dante Building, St/ Mary's College, Moraga, CA
Size: 12' x 30' acrylic on sheetrock
Design/Painting by: Susan Cervantes/Ellen Silva
Location: Dante Building, St/ Mary's College, Moraga, CA
"Mexican Vacation" ©2005 Ellen Silva
Size: 6' x 8', acrylic on MDO board
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: Tres Amigos Taqueria (originally in Half Moon Bay, CA)
Size: 6' x 8', acrylic on MDO board
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: Tres Amigos Taqueria (originally in Half Moon Bay, CA)
“Underwater Scene” ©2004 Ellen Silva
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on sheetrock
Design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Dentist Offices, Berkeley, CA
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on sheetrock
Design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Dentist Offices, Berkeley, CA
“Mirror Lake” ©2004 Ellen Silva
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on sheetrock
Design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Dentist Offices, Berkeley, CA
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on sheetrock
Design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Dentist Offices, Berkeley, CA
“Jungle Scene” ©2004 Ellen Silva
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on sheetrock
Design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Dentist Offices, Berkeley, CA
Size: 8' x 4', acrylic on sheetrock
Design and painting by: Ellen Silva
Location: Dentist Offices, Berkeley, CA
"Mediterranean Dream" ©2004 Ellen Silva
Materials: Acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: CPMC at California and Cherry, Women's Health lightwell
Materials: Acrylic on cement
Design/Painting: Ellen Silva
Location: CPMC at California and Cherry, Women's Health lightwell
Daughters of Charity-Seton Hospital ©2002 Ellen Silva
Size: 52' x 12'
Date: June 2002
Location: Client: Seton Medical Center, Daly City, CA
Size: 52' x 12'
Date: June 2002
Location: Client: Seton Medical Center, Daly City, CA
Description
The Story...
In stunning colors, a mural depicting the history of the community-care activities of the Daughters of Charity sweeps across the west wall of Seton's cafeteria-dining room for fifty-two feet at a height of twelve feet. The panorama opens with a portrait of St. Vincent de Paul and closes with Sister Carmen Ptacnik, D.C., comforting a patient.
The idea of the Heritage Wall came from the Seton Health Services Foundation, and a committee composed of Sister William Eileen Dunn, D.C., Sister Marjory Ann Baez, D.C., Bernadette Smith, and Frank Malifrando.
The mural was designed by Ellen Silva an independent artist hired by Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center.*
After the design was completed, Ellen and her staff transferred an outline drawing of the mural on to the dining-room wall. Seton associates were invited to a 2 hour "paint-In" to fill in the colors. They came by the dozens, took up brushes dipped in bold pigments, and, guided by a small rendering of the finished design, brought to life the persons and events portrayed.
Ellen completed the mural-and corrected not-quite-even lines or borders applied by the enthusiastic, but not always accurate, Seton volunteers who, even as they painted, became part of the ongoing history portrayed in the mural.
In stunning colors, a mural depicting the history of the community-care activities of the Daughters of Charity sweeps across the west wall of Seton's cafeteria-dining room for fifty-two feet at a height of twelve feet. The panorama opens with a portrait of St. Vincent de Paul and closes with Sister Carmen Ptacnik, D.C., comforting a patient.
The idea of the Heritage Wall came from the Seton Health Services Foundation, and a committee composed of Sister William Eileen Dunn, D.C., Sister Marjory Ann Baez, D.C., Bernadette Smith, and Frank Malifrando.
The mural was designed by Ellen Silva an independent artist hired by Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center.*
After the design was completed, Ellen and her staff transferred an outline drawing of the mural on to the dining-room wall. Seton associates were invited to a 2 hour "paint-In" to fill in the colors. They came by the dozens, took up brushes dipped in bold pigments, and, guided by a small rendering of the finished design, brought to life the persons and events portrayed.
Ellen completed the mural-and corrected not-quite-even lines or borders applied by the enthusiastic, but not always accurate, Seton volunteers who, even as they painted, became part of the ongoing history portrayed in the mural.