PERSONAL

Born March 17, 1924 in Newark, New Jersey under the name of Kiss, changed to Kish in 1973. Daughter of Eugene Kiss (painter, decorator & actor) and Teresa Bittman (mother of seven children)

EDUCATION

Essex county vocational school in productive art 1942. Institute of fine art 4 years. Fine art in California with Ejnar Hansen and Julian Ritter. San Miguel de Allende 1949 to 1951.

AGENT

Huguette Vrancken R.R.1 Lavigne Rd. 1863 Hammond, Ontario KOA 2A0 Canada.

PUBLICATIONS
1. "THE TINY PERFECT DINOSAUR BOOK, BONES & EGG AND POSTER" Leptoceratops. Somerville House Publishing, Toronto, Canada. Illustrator Ely Kish 1991 For U.S. Andrews & McMeel distributor.
2. "DINOSAUR BABIES" Natipual Geographic Society. U.S.A. Special Publications Division. Action book. Illustrator Ely Kish. 1991
3. "WONDER AND MYSTERY OF DINOSAURS IN ART" Gakken Publishing Co. Japan. 8 Paintings by Eleanor M. Kish. 1990.
4. "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DINOSAURS" A visual guide to prehistoric life. Published by Beekman House. U.S.A. 33 Paintings by Eleanor M. Kish. 1990.
5. "B.S.V. BIOLOGIE BAND 9/10" Bayerischer Schulbuch Verlag. Munchen. Germany. 1 painting by Ely Kish.
6. "AN ODYSSEY IN TIME" The dinosaurs of North America. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, Canada. Illustrator Eleanor M. Kish. 1989.
7. "LE MONDE PERDU DES DINOSAURUS" Decouvertes Gallimard Paris France. 9 Paintings by E. Kish. 1989.
8. "DINOSAURS PAST AND PRESENI" Volume 1 & 2. Natural Museum of Los Angeles county. University of Washington Press. U.S. 9 Paintings by Eleanor M. Kish. 1987.
9."DINOSAURS AN ILLUSTRATED STORY" New York. Produced by Red Dembner Enterprises Corporation. U.S.A. 18 Paintings by Eleanor M. Kish. 1983.
10. "THREAD OF LIFE" The Smithsonian looks at Evolution. Smithsonian Books Washington. D.C. U.S.A. 1 Painting by Eleanor M. Kish. 1982.
11. "THE AMERICAN LAND" Smithsonian exposition books. Smithsonian Institution. Washington, D.C. U.S.A. 4 Paintings by Eleanor M. Kish. 1979.
12. "A VANISHED WORLD" Dinosaurs of Western Canada. National Museums of Canada, Museum of Natural Sciences. Illustrations by Ely Kish. 1977.

TELEVISION:
B.B.C. London, England. 1983
C.J.O.H. Newsline Ottawa. Canada 1983
SKYLINE CABLE VISION Canada. 1983
C.J.O.H. Town & Country, Ottawa Canada. 1983
C.B.S. Dinosaurs with Christopher Reeves U.S.A. 1985
C.B.C. The nature of things, with David Suzuki. 1985
CABLE London Ontario, Talkart, Canada. 1986
P.B.S. WNPI Watertown, U.S.A. 1988-89-90-1991
C.T.V. CANADA IN VIEW "A portrait of Ely Kish." 1990
GRANADA T.V. London England with Walter Cronkite 1991
For Europe, U.S.A. & Canada
MAGAZINES:
TAGES ANZEIGER Magazine, Germany. August 1982
OTTAWA REVUE Canada. September 1983
EQUINOX Canada 1983
HORIZON The Magazine of the Arts N.M. U.S. October 1987
ART IMPRESSIONS, Canada May 1989
STERN Magazine, Germany. July 1989
WILD LIFE ART NEWS U.S.A. July/Aug. 1989
CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC April,May,October,Nov. 199O
Museum & ARTS Washington D.C. U.S.A. July/Aug. 1990
RANGER RICK. Canada & U.S.A October 1991
SOTHEBY'S Canada November 1991
EXHIBITS:
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART Group show U.S.A. 1945
GALLERY FIVE Ottawa One woman show Canada 1970
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO One woman show Canada 1973
GALLERY FIVE Ottawa One woman show Canada 1974
TRAVELLING EXHIBITION National Museums of Canada 1975
DEN ART GALLERY Ottawa One woman show Canada 1980
NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF CANADA One woman show 1981
Cross country travelling exhibition Canada & U.S
DEN ART GALLERY One woman show Ottawa Canada 1982
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND Commissioned work Canada 1982
WHETUNG GALLERY Group show Ontario Canada 1983
MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES One woman show Canada 1983
WHETUNG GALLERY Group show Peterborough. Canada 1984
MUSEUM OF SCIENCES BOSTON One woman show U.S.A. 1984
PAGURIAN GALLERY. One woman show. Toronto, Canada 1984
NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Group show U.S.A. 1985
KISH GALLERY. Albuquerque. New Mexico. One woman show 1985
VILLAGE SQUARE ART GALLERY One woman show. Carp, Canada 1986
CANADIAN WILDLIFE FEDERATION Auction Ottawa 1987
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE Group show Ottawa, Canada 1992
BIOGRAPHICAL/CRITICAL SOURCES: NEWSPAPERS:
NEWARK EVENING NEWS. New Jersey U.S. 18 December 1942
HIAWATHA CAMP NEWS Kezar Falls, Maine, U.S. 15 April 1951
THE OTTAWA JOURNAL Canada 1 March 1972
LE DROIT Ottawa. Canada 25 November 1972
THE OTTAWA JOURNAL Canada 1974
CENTRETOWN NEWS Ottawa. Canada 27 July 1975
PITTSBURGH POST, U.S.A. 4 June 1983
WHAT'S ON OTTAWA. Canada October 1983
LE SOLEIL. Quebec. Canada 15 September 1983
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL New Mexico, U.S.8 February & 2 April 1985
THE ALBUQUERQUE TRIBUNE. New Mexico, U.S. 8 November 1985
TIME TRACKS. Museum of Natural History N.M. U.S. 1985
BIODOME Museum of Nature, Ottawa. Canada 1983 & 1985
THE NEW YORK TIMES U.S.A 12 February 1986
LETHAIA REVIEWS VOL. 21 Oslo. Norway 1988
GLOBE & MAIL Toronto. Canada 1983 - 1989
STAR PHOENIX MORNING U.S.A. 1989
BOOK REVIEWS Canada September 1989
THE PROVINCE Vancouver. Canada 3 September 1989
LONDON ONTARIO DAILY Canada 16 September 1989
TORONTO STAR Canada 24 September 1989
DRUMHELLER MAIL Canada 27 September 1989
SUNDAY SUN Toronto. Canada 1 October 1989
EVOLUTIONARY THEORY 8/3 Van Valen. U.S. 1988
BIODOME Museum of Nature Canada 1989
TIMES COLONIST METRO 4 October 1989
GLOBE & MAIL BOOKS Canada 13 October 1989
CALGARY HERALD Canada 21 October 1989
BOOKS IN CANADA November 1989
THE TORONTO STAR Canada 2 December 1989
THE SUNDAY JOURNAL Canada 7 January 1990
THE WASHINGTON POST U.S. 12 April 1990
THE LEISURE TIMES Lakewood, New Jersey, U.S. 1990
THE GAZETTE Montreal. Canada 1 May 1990
LE REFLET Prescot Russell. Canada 13 December 1991
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Canada 1974-77-81-83-87-89-90 and 1992
WORK IN PROGRESS: "THE BOOK OF LIFE" Ceutury Random House. London. England. 15 Paintings by Ely Kish. To be published in 1993.
"DINOSAUR POSTERBOOK" & "POSTCARDBOOK" Publisher Benedikt Taschen Verlag GMBH. Germany. Illustrator Ely Kish.
"THE TINY PERFECT DINOSAUR BOOK, BONES & EGG AND POSTER" Tyrannosaurus. Somerville House Publishing, Toronto, Canada. For U.S. Andrew & McMeel Distributer. Illustrator Ely Kish.

MAJOR PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURE. Ottawa, Canada.
CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM. Ottawa, Canada.
NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. Albuquerque. New Mexico.
RONALD MACDONALD HOUSE. Ottawa, Canada.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. Washington. D.C. U.S.A.
RADIO:
C.B.C. Ottawa. Saturday Review. 27 Sept. 1983
C.K.C.V. Ottawa. 27 Sept. 1983
RADIO CANADA A l'affiche. 5 Oct. 1983
C.H.E.Z. F.M. Ottawa. 11 Oct. 1983
MORNINGSIDE. with Peter Zowsky. 28 Sept. 1988
AS IT HAPPENS. with Michel Enright. Canada & U.S 3 May 1989
C.B.C. Host Ann Spencer. Halifax, Canada. 2 Apr. 1992
C.J.F.M. Montreal, Canada host Carol Banks. 15 May 1992
C.H.E.Z. Radio Ottawa. Interview with D. Benson 15 May 1992
C.H.Q.T. Radio Edmonton. Canada Host Ed Mason. 20 May 1992
SASKATOON Radio. Canada. 20 May 1992
AWARDS: "AN ODYSSEY IN TIME" The dinosaurs of North America. Finalist for 1989 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD. for non fiction.
"ACTRA AWARD T.V. PROGRAM OF THE YEAR" with C.T.V. C.J.O.H. "CANADA IN VIEW, A PORTRAIT OF ELY KISH." Producer Sandy Armstrong. March 1990.
In 1993 ELY KISH was appointed to "MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA"

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One of seven children, Kish grew up in a poor section of Newark, New Jersey. She told Suzanne Kingsmill in an article for Canadian Geographic: "They would shoot tommy guns across the street at each other. We'd lie on our bellies ... watching the shooting and knife fights. It was quite a neighborhood." In school, she refused to take traditional "girls'" courses like home economics and was the only girl in carpentry class. Encouraged by a school principal who recognized her artistic talents, Kish attended a technical high school where she took nothing but industrial arts courses, and also took four years of art courses during the evening.

After graduation, Kish traveled throughout the United States and Mexico for fifteen years, earning her living at a variety of jobs, including painting billboards, designing greeting cards, and various construction-related jobs, all the while continuing her work as a painter of landscapes, portraits, and nature. She began using a masculine name, Ely, a shortened version of Eleanor, feeling that this would alleviate problems she encountered in the male-dominated world of fine arts. In the late 1950's she moved to Canada and became a Canadian citizen.

When Dr. Russell commissioned Kish to illustrate A Vanished World. she was able to quit her job at a display company and devote all her time to her painting. She told Kingsmill, "That was the first time I had a chance to paint for my living." Her paintings for A Vanished World established her as a top-ranking paleoartist, and led to her being commissioned to paint murals depicting prehistoric life at several other museums around the world.

After many years as a realist painter creating works of art directly from nature, Kish has developed new artistic approaches to create her prehistoric subjects. "For a woman who has painted from living models most of her life, the limits imposed by her dinosaur art highlight her adaptability, patience, and professionalism," notes Kingsmill. In order to make her images as scientifically accurate and realistic as possible, she first sculpts the skeletons of her subjects in papier mache, then forms their muscles and flesh from a variety of materials, consulting with science experts and studying actual fossils throughout this stage to ensure accuracy. Kish then uses the models as a guide for both her preliminary pencil drawings and her oil paintings; they enable her to see exactly how contours should be shaded and how light should reflect off each individual creature.

Kish told Kingsmill that her imagination allows her to envision how creatures she's never actually seen behave during various activities: "I'm the dinosaur. I dream of what I'd do, how I would eat, how I would feed my baby and how I would protect myself. Once you get acquainted with the animal, then you can imagine it turning, moving."