5 Things to Know About Elli’s Professional Journey

Photo caption: Elli Milan, the founder of the Milan Art Institute, sits with some of her professional work. Photo courtesy of Elli Milan and the Milan Art Institute.

Most students who enroll in the Milan Art Institute’s Mastery Program do so, in part, to learn how to become professional artists. While our program does provide them with professional skills training, it offers them something more. It allows them to translate the courage and passion they feel for art into a thriving art career.

It all comes down to helping them find their passion and inspiring them to push past their limits, and we believe in leading by example. It’s with that in mind that we want to highlight some of Elli Milan’s words about her professional art journey. 

We hope her words inspire you to embrace the artist you have inside yourself and to go out and pursue your art dreams.

Becoming a Professional Artist: 5 Things to Know About Elli Milan

  1. She has been selling her art professional since 1996. She has worked in both the collector and decorative markets as an artist. As such, she can offer art students a unique look into the art field and teach them how to find an audience of collectors.  
    She started the Milan Art Institute in 2010, and it’s a family affair. Her husband John, as well as her four kids, Dimitra, Dafni, Dalia and Dino, are also artists and deeply involved with the school.
  1. She LOVES mentoring artists. Elli has this to say about her role as an art teacher and mentor. 
    “I mentor artists from all over the world, and it’s really, really exciting. I get to mentor them and help them turn their passion for art into a profession.”
  1. Elli loves being able to put the things that she’s passionate about and that inspire her on canvas. 
    “I have the opportunity to express my art to other people and share my world with other people. […] I really enjoy that connection that I get to have with collectors.”
    Doing so gives her an opportunity to talk to collectors and see how her art touches their lives. It allows her to get to know them in a deep way. She’s now really good friends with many of the people who have collected her art over the years.
  1. She loves to paint animals, because they bring symbolic meaning to her paintings. 
    “I do love to paint animals. I think that animals are very symbolic, and I like to think about what they mean and sort of their function and kind of flip that into a spiritual symbol.”
  1. Her paintings express a deep, rich color palette. One of the things that the school is known for its teachings on the use of warm and cool colors in oil paint. More specifically, Elli did research on how to use warm and cool colors in paintings to bring increased depth and what she calls “juiciness” to paintings. It is a revolutionary way to make seemingly ordinary paint come alive on canvas. 

If you enjoyed hearing about Elli’s art career, then be sure to watch the following video to learn more about her incredible art journey.

Video caption: Elli Milan's Artist Journey

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