Ellie Bogardus - The Italian Period

Occasionally, I get a message from a viewer who happens upon one of the Ellie Bogardus blog postings and has something to share of his or her history with the artist. Back in July, I received such a note: I was used to know her and her husband, the time they lived in Italy, my family still owns some of her works. Few days ago I've found some candles (quite hippy looking!) she had crafted with my mom around 1966!! Lovely person! I remember she was letting me play whit inks and colours (I was 3/4 y.o.), and also with Mammut, their dachshund I loved.

In October, I received another a note on "Turn Back The Pages - More Notes On Ellie Bogardus..." which was his reply to my inquiry for more information: Hi, how can I send u some pics about?!? I'm that "gentleman"... :-)

1988 hand-painted sweatshirt

Alessandro La Villa (who goes by the handle, Bambotron) sent a follow up message with a photograph of a sweat shirt that Ellie had painted for his mother on her "last trip to Cambria." He mentioned that there was once a portrait of his grandmother in an armchair, but at a time in the past someone close to the family had stolen it from her home. He also promised "more was to come."

This past October, Alessandro sent another image with the explanation: This was done for my father (Silvio), after a healt[h] problem for Jean and Bebel (Mammouth)! Jean gave me his authorization to show him naked!!! lol! There was a P.S. again of more to come. The Jean refers to Jean-Marie Bonnard (Ellie's Husband), referred to in earlier posts.

1967 Nursing Diploma

The next day, October 15, Alessandro sent another photograph with the explanation: ... here's another Ellie's work from the "Italian" period. I'm glad to introduce you my "Sicilian" grandmother Agata, in her armchair, Ellie's way! As you can see, it's ink drawn on tissue paper. She also realized a painting  of my Granny, sadly it has been stolen... Anyway, talking with my mother about Ellie it's great, cause she really remembers a lot about... did you know Ellie was also a cookbook writer?!? looks like she has made more than one cookbook, filling those with her "stories" about how she got the recipe and how was the first time she tasted those food. Great people makes a lot of stuffs!!!

Agata, Alessandro's grandmother

It has taken me months to follow up with a post of the information from Alessandro - I need to follow up with him and see if there is more he can share.
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To document another memory of Ellie Bogardus (no images, except in someone's mind) comes from C.H. Crawford posted August 17th on "The Artist's House - Ellie Bogardus": Thanks for sharing. I was visiting Cambria recently and could not remember where Ellie's cottage was located. She was kind enough to allow me, a complete stranger, to stay in the little suite in the back in the late 80"s. It was a fabulous spot right next to the cliff. It was literally just what my doctor ordered. I wish I could have stayed a lifetime. She was very kind to me those few days. We shared soft shell crab out in the gazebo. Magical indeed!

Ellie Bogardus - Sign of Better Things to Come

Glimpse of Bogardus original

A few weeks ago, I received a message from the daughter of an Ellie Bogardus collector. She was helping her mother relocate, and as it turns out, there are a number of paintings that were collected over the years by the friend of the artist. Due to some problems with a cell phone camera, it will be several weeks until some better images can be taken, and passed on for posting. In the mean time, this photograph is just a teaser for better things to come.

Ellie Bogardus - Exterior/Interior Art

A lot of years ago, I saw a television biography about the physicist Richard Feynman, and remember how he and a friend researched and a planned a trip to a really obscure place in the then Soviet Union - Tannu Tuva. Other than just doing it, there was no reason for taking on this adventure. A pretty carefree perspective from a theoretical physicist who was once a member of the Rogers Commission that investigated the Challenger space shuttle failure.

Door bell cat 5275 Nottingham Drive

In an earlier blog, I mentioned a search for examples of art done by Ellie Bogardus - a cartoon background scenery artist who lived in Cambria. But all that I could turn up was that which remained on concrete skirts around man hole covers on Nottingham Drive in front of where her house once stood - street art. I had seen a few of her pieces in local galleries, so knew they existed, but no examples were unavailable on the Web, and I didn't know anyone who owned any pieces. I had even emailed the Seago Gallery that once sold her paintings, asking whether they had any remaining photographs of her art - but I didn't receive a reply. (1) Even though my quest was quite prosaic compared to that of a hard-to-reach foreign land and I am not a physical scientist (only had three biochemistry classes and only owned a physical chemistry book - never attempted master that kind of subject) - it was still a personal crusade, of sort - a contemporary art history quest.

Art on door header, residence art

We just returned from spending a few days of vacation in Cambria, and without even trying, I came across relics of Ellie Bogardus art to add to the previous on-line archive. First, the owners of the new house that replaced her cottage have expressions of the characters around the man holes routed into wood on a placard surrounding the door bell button, and on a header board above the front door. These folks obviously were aware of who once resided within the footprint of their new home whose backyard is the Pacific Ocean. I didn't notice these features last September when we were last in Cambria, but for whatever reason noticed them this trip. The second set of remembrances turned out to be in my brother and sister-in-law's home in the East Bay area. When they were visiting Cambria three years ago,

Three Ellie Bogardus originals - Private collection, Danville CA

an art sale was being held at a local restaurant with the proceeds going to benefit the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. As it turned out, there were pieces of Ellie's art for sale, and they bought the three pieces shown above. These are poor photographic renditions, but at least give a fair impression of what her art looked like. While talking to Brian and Dana, they mentioned how they had looked on the Internet trying to find examples of Ellie's art, but to no success. Their gain was mine as well - my art quest moved forward a little.
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(1) We found out this same trip that the Seago Gallery is gone - replaced by the Moonstone Redwood Gallery.


Adding to information about Bogardus, a recent Letter to the Editor was posted in San Luis Obispo Tribune (July 29, 2011) that mentioned the artist:

Werner Koch, Cambria

Under Ellie’s influence there must be a few Cambrians who still resemble the charmed society paintings, the Snoopy film background designs, the many live cats, the ebullient personality and the near-rabid sense of humor which comprised Ellie Bogardus. Lucky were any visitors looking hungry or unfamiliar with our area if they encountered Ellie — they would be subject to her come-to-my-home hospitality syndrome. I found cause to practice that a few days ago. In the market I ran into two college-age Dutch men, just arrived in the U.S. via San Francisco and looking quite perplexed. When I asked if there was something they couldn’t find, the answer was “fruit syrup.” In Holland, it is mixed with water for a summer drink. After starting to give directions to Linn’s, I switched into “Ellie mode” and asked if they minded following me home, where I had a brand-new, unopened bottle of olallieberry syrup. A little later, happily settled on my deck, sipping away on their Cambria-grown and packed product, my young guests looked up with me, smiled, and thanked Ellie for her influence over this gathering. All too soon, they were off to the campground for the first night of a three-week, properly supplied, western U.S. journey.