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Emotions Held

A Collection of Paintings by Joni Ella

Emotions Held is a contemporary equestrian collection exploring the tension between stillness and movement, restraint and release, softness and adrenaline. Rather than focusing on anatomical realism, the work leans into emotional symbolism - elongating form, simplifying detail, and dissolving environments in order to preserve feeling over precision.

 

The elongated anatomy and restrained environments intentionally remove the work from literal reality. Figures appear stretched through memory, atmosphere, and sensation, creating a dreamlike visual language that prioritizes emotional resonance over technical perfection.

 

Some pieces hold soft intimacy. Others hold momentum at its breaking point. Together, the collection explores what it means to carry emotion within the body - to contain movement, vulnerability, and energy all at once.

 

The result is a series that exists somewhere between fine art, memory, motion, and feeling: an attempt to capture emotions not as expressions, but as forms being held in place.

 

The collection blends elements of:

  • contemporary figurative painting
  • minimalist impressionism
  • emotional absraction
  • and modern equestrian art

Relief - 10 x 10" acrylic on canvas

Part of Emotions Held, Relief reflects the immediate emotional release that occurs the moment horse and rider reconnect. Created with the emotional shift that happens upon stepping into the saddle, the piece explores the way accumulated tension can dissolve through movement, trust, and presence. The softened forms and open negative space create a sense of lightness — as though the figure is no longer carrying the full weight of what came before. Balanced between stillness and motion, Relief captures the fleeting moment where the nervous system softens, and the body remembers how to breathe again.

$225

Curiosity - 36 x 48" acrylic on canvas

On Display at New Skin Aesthetics Part of Emotions Held, Curiosity was inspired by the stunning presence of a paint horse whose markings felt almost too beautiful to disturb. The piece reflects the gentle intrigue and awareness often carried by horses — observant, sensitive, and deeply present within their surroundings. The elongated form and simplified composition allow the horse to exist without urgency or performance, embodying the idea that worth does not need to be earned through movement or achievement. Curiosity explores the softness of simply being — attentive, open, and enough exactly as one is.

$1,200

Adrenaline - 24 x 36"

Part of Emotions Held, Adrenaline explores the intoxicating rush woven through equestrian sport — the collision of instinct, speed, power, and trust between horse and rider. The heightened emotion carried within moments of movement and risk; the piece reflects both exhilaration and surrender to forces larger than control alone. The elongated forms and sweeping motion blur the line between elegance and wildness, capturing the fragile balance between discipline and freedom. Suspended within movement, Adrenaline embodies the electric intensity of being fully alive within the moment.

$700

Connection - 16 x 20" acrylic on canvas

Part of Emotions Held, Connection explores the trust built over time between horse and rider. Inspired by the deep understanding that cannot be rushed or forced, the piece reflects the unspoken communication formed through patience, consistency, and presence. The softened forms and still composition emphasize emotional closeness rather than control, allowing horse and figure to exist in recognition of one another. Connection speaks to the kind of bond that is earned gradually — through trust built one moment at a time.

$425

Stillness - 36 x 48" acrylic on canvas

Part of Emotions Held, Stillness became the foundation from which the series quietly unfolded. Originally created for a personal space within the artist’s home, the piece reflects the grounding connection shared between horse and rider — a relationship built not through performance, but presence. Inspired by the artist’s horse, Zephyrus, Stillness explores the way horses often mirror human emotion with remarkable sensitivity. Within the softened forms and restrained movement exists a sense of emotional reflection, balance, and understanding. The work speaks to the rare experience of feeling both deeply seen and gently steadied at the same time. At its core, Stillness is about connection as sanctuary — the calm that can exist when another living being holds space for who you are without asking you to become anything else.

Not For Sale

Release - 20 x 24" acrylic on canvas

Part of Emotions Held, Release reflects the surrender found within trust-based horsemanship. Inspired by liberty-style training, the piece explores the emotional shift that occurs when control softens into mutual respect and partnership. Rather than domination, the work centers on presence, intuition, and the understanding that true connection cannot be forced. Horse and rider move together through openness rather than restraint — a reminder that power becomes most profound when met with trust instead of control.

$575

Restoration Series

Currently on display at The Violin Shop, Lincoln NE.

The Restoration Series is a trio of mixed media works exploring fracture, tension, and the human instinct to preserve what still carries meaning. Inspired by the architecture of string instruments and the emotional weight they hold, each piece reflects a different form of structural and emotional repair. 

Fractured - 24 x 26" acrylic & plaster on canvas

Part of The Restoration Series, Fractured draws inspiration from the cracking and separation that can occur within the body of a violin over time — damage that interrupts both structure and sound, requiring delicate restoration to preserve the instrument’s voice. Within the piece, the fractured surface becomes symbolic of emotional rupture and resilience. A solitary white figure kneels beside the split form, attempting to hold together what has begun to break apart. The gesture is quiet, almost impossible, yet deeply human. Suspended between fragility and devotion, Fractured reflects the instinct to repair what we love, even when the damage cannot be entirely undone.

$650

Warped - 24 x 36" acrylic, plaster on canvas

Part of The Restoration Series, Warped draws inspiration from the structural bending of a violin neck — a common restoration issue requiring careful realignment before the instrument can properly hold tension and resonance once again. Within the piece, the elongated curve of the violin becomes symbolic of emotional distortion and longing. The small white figure reaches toward what feels just beyond grasp, reflecting the deeply human experience of striving toward connection, restoration, or meaning even when it appears nearly unattainable.

$650

Collapsed - 24 x 36" acrylic & plaster on canvas

Part of The Restoration Series, Collapsed draws inspiration from the internal structural supports within a violin — the hidden elements responsible for carrying vibration, resonance, and sound. When these inner supports loosen or fail, the instrument begins to lose both stability and voice. Within the piece, the dissolving form of the violin becomes symbolic of loss, impermanence, and the human instinct to resist what is slipping away. The small white figure reaches upward toward the collapsing fragments in an attempt to preserve what can no longer fully be held together. Balancing structural failure with emotional tenderness, Collapsed reflects the fragile space between dissolution and devotion.

$650

Afterwards I & II - two 12x24 acrylic on canvas

Afterwards explores what remains after transformation has already occurred — the stillness after survival, the tenderness after becoming. Two figures mirror one another through contrast: a pale horse emerging from shadow, and a dark horse held within light. Together they reflect the tension we carry between strength and softness, protection and surrender, wandering and return. The elongated forms create a dreamlike imbalance, as though the figures exist somewhere between memory and motion. Botanical details frame the edges like overgrowth reclaiming abandoned walls — subtle reminders that healing rarely happens in perfectly controlled spaces. Created with layered plaster-inspired textures and muted earth tones, this diptych was designed to feel atmospheric, grounding, and emotionally contemplative. A study in duality. A conversation between shadow and light. A reminder that sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin after the world thinks the story is already finished.

$850

Matriarch - 20 x 24" acrylic on canvas

Matriarch reflects the strength that develops when women grow alongside one another through time — protecting, carrying, and shaping each other through shared experience. Inspired by matriarchal elephant herds, the piece explores femininity not as fragility, but as endurance, memory, and collective care.

Sold

Julie - 20 x 24 " acrylic & plaster on canvas

Created as a personal piece for the artist’s sister, Julie was inspired by the people, places, and small rituals that shape a meaningful life. The work reflects her love for her partner, their four deeply adored dogs, leisurely travel, and the warmth found within companionship and home. Through softened forms and an elongated, dreamlike composition, the painting becomes less about a specific location and more about the feeling of being surrounded by what matters most. At its core, Julie is a reflection of affection — both for the life her sister has built and for the enduring bond between them.

Collected

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