Dear Fans,
Last year a San Diego artist saw this piece of mine on Zhibit via this website. She proceeded to down load a copy of it without my permission. ("Faces" ) Once she had the copy she printed it to the size she desired. She then pasted it to wood board, painted over it in the same palette with acrylic paint. She then sealed it with a high gloss resin as to hide the fact that it was a print painted over. She then presented it in a San Diego gallery where I had previously shown my work. She showed this piece as her own original art. It was miraculous that the events unfolded in a way that I even became aware of this. I had not been in that gallery for at least a year. I showed up to take a life drawing class and bam right there on the wall was my piece.. well her piece. It had a 1st place ribbon on it from a juried show. Upon contacting this artist she was unwilling to give me the answers I needed to feel that she had not done what I thought she did. It became extremely obviouse to me via the two brief conversations that we had that she was extremely uncomfortable with my questions. To this day she hasn't provided me with proof that her piece was an original piece that she created. I discovered this in November of 2010. The gallery president confirmed that this artist taught a workshop at the gallery and explained her process. Her artistic process is to paint a picture over a picture. My piece that you see here is called Faces. It was painted in 2009. This other artist's duplicate was created in April of 2010, approximately four months after my piece had been published on Zhibit. It had already shown in two San Diego Exhibitions during the year 2009.
I am very saddened by this entire turn of events. I believe the best way to handle something like this is to let all of you know how happy it makes me when a viewer comes to my site and enjoys my art. I have it publised on line because I believe it's inspired by spirit and it has healing abilities. You can view it as often as you like. If you love it so much that you want the original then you may purchase it. Please do not down load, copy, print, or duplicate my art, articles, or information from my website unless you have received my written authorization. Please remember the Golden Rule... "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) prohibits anyone from down loading any art or written information and reproducing it in any form for their own use without written permission by the artist. www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
As an artist if you need to down load someone's art, print it, paint over it, and put your name on it.. you've missed the boat. To be inspired by art is wonderful. To take it and put your name on it is nothing more than theft.
I feel writing this article is part of my process. I appreciate everyones love and support in this matter. If you are a gallery owner or director and you've seen this piece shown in your gallery please contact me at your earliest convienence.
In love and harmony,
Ellie
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