Janet Gwendolyn Smith Art

Eleanor "Ellie" M. Hofer (American 1974-)
Naples, Florida USA

Eleanor M. Hofer, branded as Ellie, is an American artist born on August 16, 1974 into a family of creative geniuses. Being born to an artist of exceptional talent and a notable scientist and engineer, she has a very unique and profound talent fostered by this dynamic balance between the arts and sciences.
 
Her mother, Joallyn Holmquist Hofer, was trained in the music and arts as a matter of class. This involved the visual arts, dance and performance theater and training in a multitude of musical instruments. It was this family tradition of excellence in which Eleanor was raised. She studies numerous art, music and dance styles. Eleanor has a passion for art history, the people, the techniques and the influences of science and psychology on artistic expression through the ages.
 
Her father, George Hofer, is a founding father of the modern computer industry, having invented machines that manufacture semiconductors. His unique, visionary genius has been handed down to his daughter. This equally balanced scientific and creative bridge allows Eleanor to bring the left and right brain together for a powerful, innovative approach.
 
On entering school she was recognized as a child prodigy and placed in a gifted educational program where her abilities were fostered. Throughout her formal academic training she received numerous awards in the visual arts, participated in juried art exhibits and exhibited in cafes and other business venues. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, which encompassed animation, interactive technology, video graphics and special effects. These specific areas of study moved her natural art abilities into a dynamic new direction.
 
Eleanor presented her first body of work to a gallery owner on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. At this fateful meeting she was told that 'despite your talent, people buy art because of who did it and no one knows who you are'. It was at this point that Eleanor decided not to sell her original paintings until she was recognized.
 
Eleanor has since developed numerous fine art brands and through her exploration of new media, has enjoyed branching out into many mediums, but has been drawn full circle back to oil on canvas and simple, fine art creation. "The creation of art on a computer, although unlimited, cannot compare with the intoxicating draw of the smell and visual delight of wet oil paint on a pure white canvas."

Artist biography based upon tw personal interviews, May 31, 2014 and July 5, 2014 in Ft. Myers, Florida USA.

Copyright 2014-2024 Janet G. Smith and Eleanor Hofer
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