Meet Ellen Palestrant

South African-born writer and artist and filmmaker, Ellen Palestrant, currently resides in Arizona. She was educated in South Africa and Britain and immigrated with her family to the USA in 1987. Palestrant has been a writer, artist, creativity expert, game inventor, hydroponic farmer, special education teacher, television scriptwriter (adult documentary and children's animation), film producer, college instructor (English, Humanities, Creative Writing) and co-publisher of a college press.

Her published books include: NOSEDIVE, JOHANNESBURG ONE HUNDRED, REMEMBERING DOLORES, I TOUCHED A STAR IN MY DREAM LAST NIGHT, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HUNCH? The Importance of Creative Thinking, PRETZEL ON PROZAC: The Story of An Immigrant Dog, THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE and IF YOU CAN MAKE IT, MR. HARRIS… SO CAN I (letters, workbook), KOPTOE Transcending Boundaries: The Comrades Marathon, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CREATIVITY: Art, Writing, Music, Filmmaking, Theatre, Education, Science & The Synergy of Imagination and QUOTES ABOUT CREATIVITY: What Makes Creative People Tick, Inspirational Thoughts About Creativity Through the Ages.

Her ethereal, multi-dimensional paintings invite viewers into her dream-like worlds…

"My paintings begin with a glimpse of possibility. I have a sense of what I want and then feel my way. As my boundaries of reality disappear, uncensored spontaneity takes over and I enter my world of dreams. My journey into fantasy is open-ended; anything can happen. My fleeting images undulate simultaneously on varied surfaces. Using a combination of acrylic paints, watercolor, and iridescent inks, I create a complex color spectrum. In addition to being a painter, I am also a filmmaker and the author of thirteen books, seven of which I have illustrated. I have lectured extensively on the subject of creativity."

South African-born writer and artist and filmmaker, Ellen Palestrant, currently resides in Arizona. She was educated in South Africa and Britain and immigrated with her family to the USA in 1987. Palestrant has been a writer, artist, creativity expert, game inventor, hydroponic farmer, special education teacher, television scriptwriter (adult documentary and children's animation), film producer, college instructor (English, Humanities, Creative Writing) and co-publisher of a college press.

Her published books include: NOSEDIVE, JOHANNESBURG ONE HUNDRED, REMEMBERING DOLORES, I TOUCHED A STAR IN MY DREAM LAST NIGHT, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HUNCH? The Importance of Creative Thinking, PRETZEL ON PROZAC: The Story of An Immigrant Dog, THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE and IF YOU CAN MAKE IT, MR. HARRIS… SO CAN I (letters, workbook), KOPTOE Transcending Boundaries: The Comrades Marathon, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CREATIVITY: Art, Writing, Music, Filmmaking, Theatre, Education, Science & The Synergy of Imagination and QUOTES ABOUT CREATIVITY: What Makes Creative People Tick, Inspirational Thoughts About Creativity Through the Ages.

Her ethereal, multi-dimensional paintings invite viewers into her dream-like worlds…

"My paintings begin with a glimpse of possibility. I have a sense of what I want and then feel my way. As my boundaries of reality disappear, uncensored spontaneity takes over and I enter my world of dreams. My journey into fantasy is open-ended; anything can happen. My fleeting images undulate simultaneously on varied surfaces. Using a combination of acrylic paints, watercolor, and iridescent inks, I create a complex color spectrum. In addition to being a painter, I am also a filmmaker and the author of about twelve books, six of which I have illustrated. I have lectured extensively on the subject of creativity."

From Ellen’s Blog

I CREATE… FROM MAUVE TO PINK TO YELLOW TO BLUE…

by Ellen | Dec 13, 2018

Our creative lives are journeys of joyful discovery, of fun and optimism. Optimism, because we have realized that the creative resources within us are abundant and will not dry up; the only thing that might run out, is time, so we seize each moment we have, for further creative exploration.

THREE IMPORTANT “Cs” – CURIOSITY, CONNECTIVITY & CREATIVITY

by Ellen | Nov 28, 2018

I very much loved…the feeling of bringing…totally unrelated…areas of my life together as one can in fiction. John Cheever, American writer I think that a large part of my creativity is driven by curiosity. What will an idea that might have flashed quite suddenly...

A PLACE FOR IDEAS TO DWELL

by Ellen | Nov 20, 2018

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. Maya Angelou America poet and writer (1928 -2014) I find that certain environments, both indoors and outdoors, immediately become creative homes for me. They are bright, light and happy. Such...

« Other Entries

KOPTOE - Transcending Boundaries: The Comrades Marathon

KOPTOE - TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES: THE COMRADES MARATHON, is a story about two runners and the COMRADES ULTRAMARATHON (a race of 56 miles between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in South Africa.) The book is also about the connection between RUNNING, WRITING & CREATING MARATHONS - about the various marathons in our lives.

Reviews

When Ellen Palestrant rang and said she had a short novel and some stories I readily agreed to read them. To my delight the novel was a very original piece of writing and the few short stories were little jewels. As I have become an avid jogger and Comrades runner, I found the story entitled 'Koptoe' a most appropriate one with which to close this small 'harvest' of writing.

-Adrian Donker, Ad. Donker Publishing

Ellen Palestrant's strong inborn talent is many-sided. Her main gift is a vigorous comic inventiveness which she adapts to purposes of fantasy, farce or satire with equal facility and zest. She can be playfully inventive also in her use of language. By contrast, she is capable too, of persuasive realistic writing, and has written stories of poignant force.

-Lionel Abrahams, South African novelist, poet, editor and critic

KOPTOE FIRST APPEARED IN ELLEN PALESTRANT"S SHORT STORY COLLECTION: NOSEDIVE & OTHER WRITINGS

Here we have a novella and four short stories by a cleverly original South African author. This is Ellen Palestrant's debut. That there will be more of her delightfully amusing "off-beat" writings, I feel no doubt - I surely hope so. The stories, written with sprinklings of the South African vernacular, also include familiar place names and streets scattered throughout - all adding to their intriguing quality...Nosedive is superb...(it) goes to the heights - or is it depths - of hyperbole. I believe this must undoubtedly be one of the funniest books I've ever read.

-Doug Slack, The Star

Ellen Palestrant's writing is the perfect foil. She... sees the human condition without illusion, and especially the condition of the part of humanity which speaks with a South African accent... hers is the comic vision. Nosedive is a zany farce with strong satirical undertones. The writing is exuberant and refreshing and the author's sense of the absurd is wholly delightful. If you are in need of a tonic... Ellen Palestrant is what you need.

-Natal Witness