As part of our ongoing 40th anniversary celebrations, we are featuring a different CE artist and logo every month of 2023! Read more about our 40th anniversary and our featured artists ▸

Ethel Revita stands outside the CE gallery in front of a wallpaper of her work.

On a Wednesday morning in the studio, you can find Ethel Revita focused at her table, embroidering flowers or painting away the morning. Quiet but always hard at work, Ethel is one of Creativity Explored’s most fervent and diligent artists.

Ethel has been coming to CE since 1994, for almost 30 years. Dedicated to her art practice, she often starts working immediately upon arriving in the studio, and routinely comes in four days a week.

“Nothing distracts her,” says Studio Director Paul Moshammer. “She’s one of our hardest working artists. If her supplies aren’t out in the morning, she’ll go to the drawer and get them herself.”

Ethel is known for her drawings and paintings populated with joyful, colorful patterns, often featuring animals or geometric figures floating on a vibrant background. These works are uniquely Ethel, reflective of her bright smile and characteristically warm nature.

Ethel Revita embroiders a piece of fabric scavenged from Recology SF.

Ethel’s somewhat reserved nature belies her youthful energy and charisma. In the studio, she smiles a lot and loves to laugh when others are making jokes. Ever community-oriented, she enjoys working and being with others: collaborating with different teaching artists, going on field trips with peers, participating in CE’s weekly dance parties.

She often works with teaching artist Leeza Doreian, who helps custom mix color samples for her sophisticated palettes: she often gravitates towards pastels or colors mixed with gray. Ethel’s patterned works have an unmistakable movement and energy – she carefully composes each piece, but doesn’t let herself be limited by the rigidity of form. Her pieces vibrate with life and humanity, no two triangles or zebras ever the same.

Ethel has ventured into other mediums, like ceramics, textiles, and papier-mache. She once created a large horse sculpture from found materials, and recently discovered a new medium in jettisoned house paint scavenged from the Recology dump. She is an avid embroiderer, lending her eye for pattern to a robust surface design and fiber art practice. You can often find her in the studio embroidering geometric and organic patterns on clothing or found fabric.

Teaching artist Lacey Johnson and Ethel Revita stand in front of Ethel’s work atop Salesforce Tower.

Ethel’s family is very important to her, and her work ethic is strong: in addition to being an extremely dedicated artist, Ethel frequently helps out in the studio with tasks like cleaning up or washing dishes. On her off days, she enjoys watching TV, and going shopping and grabbing lunch with her mom.

All in all, Ethel seems happy with the little things in life: having a good lunch, maybe a cup of tea, a nice piece of paper to draw on, and a few laughs.

During Art Changes Lives 2022, Ethel’s artwork was displayed on Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. Global retailer VIDA transformed a collection of Ethel’s unique designs into collectible scarves, totes, clutches, and glass trays. You can peruse the products on VIDA’s website, or shop Ethel’s art below.