Ellie Hitchcock began working with polymer clay when she was a coordinator for children's activities in a homeless shelter, looking for a user-friendly medium that she could use with the children. Ellie had previously been a watercolor painter but never had the passion for watercolor that she feels for polymer clay.

After taking the Artist's Way course in 1995, she made the decision to pursue her art full-time.  Ellie started out with her work in a cooperative gallery in downtown San Diego and in two galleries in La Jolla and then juried into Spanish Village Art Center in beautiful Balboa Park.   For four years Ellie was president of the art center.  She is also a member of the San Diego Polymer Clay Guild and is currently Communications Officer for the guild.  She is also the co-chair for the annual polymer clay retreat called Sandy Camp, which brings people together from all over the globe to do polymer clay at Warner Springs Ranch.  Ellie is also the liaison to the San Diego County Fair for both Spanish Village Art Center and the San Diego Polymer Clay Guild.

Ellie founded the Children's Integrated Art Experience....hands-on art for all 5th grade students in the San Diego City Schools.  It was very successful and ran for 2 years, reaching nearly 28,000 children and 420 teachers, until a lack of state funding forced it into a hiatus.  Currently Ellie teaches private classes in her studio and has been running an after-school art enrichment program in Solana Beach since September, 2004. Ellie is also running week-long art camps in Balboa Park for children during the spring break and in the summer.  She has included artists who work in various other mediums, as well as polymer clay.

Ellie has received many awards for her polymer clay at the San Diego County Fair, has had pieces in the Small Image Show in Gallery 21 and in July, 2006 won the Designer’s Choice Award from the American Art Clay Company at the Craft and Hobby Association show in Chicago. She has also been a finalist three times in the Amaco Bottle of Hope Challenge.

Ellie is fortunate to have a delightful little studio in Spanish Village Art Center in beautiful Balboa Park and shares her studio with three very talented artists.  If you are ever in San Diego please come visit Studio 30!

Ellie lives in San Diego with her husband John and has one grown son, a lovely daughter-in-law and four handsome grandsons who live in Oregon.