DELICATE DETAILS
WORDS Joshua Brosnahan PHOTOS Jess McGhie
Ōtautahi-based artist Ellie Compton has won Ballantynes’ biannual artist competition Bring It To The Boardroom.
Following a high number of exceptional submissions, digital presentations in front of the team of discerning buyers, and much deliberation, Ellie’s detailed piece on our city won over the judges. The grand prize means Ellie receives the opportunity to sell her art in-store at Ballantynes and on their website for a year.
With the Ballantynes executive team on-call to lend their expertise, and Ellie able to work with the team on a business approach and ‘pick their brains’ on her next steps, Ellie also receives all revenue from the product sales of her winning artwork.
The CEO of Ballantynes, Maria O’Halloran, credits Ellie’s creativity and eye for detail as part of the reason for her win. “Ellie’s art speaks to her Cantabrian heritage, with gorgeous linework and elements that will surprise and delight our customers. Ellie’s artwork weaves narrative and architecture together to create worlds through beautifully delicate details.”
Ellie is excited about the win.
“It’s a very humbling but incredibly exciting feeling…I am thrilled to be receiving some mentoring and business advice from the Ballantynes team. I think this will be the start of many exciting opportunities to come,” she says.
As a Christchurch-born business, Ballantynes is excited to work with Ellie on her journey and to see her brand develop and grow. “For us, this is about giving back to our community,” says Maria. “More than ever, it is so important to support local talent to ensure our communities stay vibrant and full of creativity. We’re so excited to begin this partnership with Ellie.”
As an architectural graduate, Ellie’s background shines through in the winning piece’s style – the detailed cross-sections that told a story about Christchurch.
Ellie admits the transition from graduate to artist contributed to a bit of an ‘identity crisis’ but winning a couple of awards along the way, and even having former Museum Hotel owner and art collector Chris Parkin purchasing her work, means she feels she is on the right track. Her win with Ballantynes ensures she’s able to elevate her position as a reputable local artist through a somewhat rare business opportunity.
Ellie also feels honoured that her subjects share their lives with her in the creation of her works. “Quite often, these people share quite personal, intimate journeys with me in order for their artwork to really tell a story.
“I worked on a large artwork as a retirement gift from one business partner to another. They were in the hospitality industry. The end result was a bar setting, with a top shelf of liquors, all named after former businesses the pair had owned. To have that client feed back to me that he had ‘never felt someone capture me, to an absolute tee before’ meant so much to me. I’m now part of a bigger story, and that means so much to me as an artist.”
Ballantynes’ Marketing Manager Shelley Gayford also mentions that after Ellie’s winning work was posted on their social media, the overwhelmingly positive response to the winning artwork was a welcome affirmation; this piece was the right choice to take out the top prize.
Keep an eye out for Ellie’s artwork gracing the walls of Ballantynes. Her art will be launched in conjunction with an exciting new art space in Ballantynes: The Gallery, an area designed to exhibit both leading and emerging New Zealand artists.