Ellen Heck

Nursing (E)

2024

Ellen Heck grew up in Austin, Texas and has received degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Brown University. She works primarily as a printmaker in North Carolina and is represented by galleries in the United States and the United Kingdom. She was an artist-in-residence at Kala Art Institute and artist-member of the California Society of Printmakers, and her work is often figurative and project-based. Over the past decade, through several print projects, she has explored specific questions about identity—its creation, variability, persistence and change. Detailed, elegant rendering brings a sense of intimacy and tenderness throughout her oeuvre, and especially so in this series centered around early motherhood. She is a printmaker who also makes picture books, including her debut, A is for Bee. Drawing on a background that includes studies in philosophy at Brown University and fine art at SAIC, Ellen brings depth and perspective to her illustrations, combining a variety of traditional mediums that result in artwork both timeless and contemporary. Her second book Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge by Elizabeth Partridge, was recognized as a Kirkus: Best Picture Book of 2024, a Children’s Book Council 2025 Outstanding Science Trade Book, an ALA Notable, and a 2025 CCBC Choice book. Her forthcoming picture book, Sunflower Seeds, examines the life cycle of a sunflower from the perspective of a boy who notices things. The illustrations were created using oil paint on brown paper. She enjoys reading children’s books, poetry, and pop science non-fiction, traveling, and spending time with her family.