The origins for the name of Ellza’s studio can be traced back to a conversation shared with a close friend during a time of great personal change. While there may be numerous ways to interpret the meaning of a black rose—Irish nationalism being one such explanation that speaks to Ellza’s ancestral roots—the theme of transformation that’s found within the cycle of death and rebirth is especially relevant for Ellza. When an incident unexpectedly took the life of her husband in 2006, Ellza was thrust into the territory of heart-wrenching grief. Straddled between the life she once knew, and the one that was yet to come, Ellza’s “black rose” moment would inevitably transform the entire landscape of her life. Leaving behind everything that once defined her, Ellza’s rebirth led her to Colorado where she resurrected a new life as an artist. Like the mythical phoenix rising up out of the ashes, Studio Black Rose embodies the spirit of transformation—and the courage it takes to pass through the portal to reach the promise of rebirth that awaits on the other side.
“I pledge Allegiance to the earth and to the united state of Humanity, and to the consciousness for which it stands, one people with open hearts and with peace and equality for all.” —Amina Simon