"During the Spring of 2010, Ellie Collins worked with my class as a Creative Partnerships practitioner. Through the project we sought to make aspects of the Round the World Clipper Race accessible and meaningful to a group of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex needs. Ellie worked in close collaboration with staff to develop an interactive, multi-sensory experience for the pupils. Varied art forms such as visual arts, image projection, tactile art, music and poetry were combined with multi-sensory stimuli to create for the pupils the experience of sailing to and encountering the culture of various countries. The project was a great success and all involved thoroughly enjoyed the exciting sessions with Ellie. Staff were able to learn from her new creative methods of working and many pupils showed an increased level of responsiveness as a result of her interactions with them." Hilary Wright Class teacher, Ganton Special School.

"Our pupils have found Ellie's sensory art sessions fun, accessible and stimulating. A bespoke Christmas session included projected imagery, carol singing, shiny chocolate coins and candle light, aromas of orange, cinnamon and nutmeg. The pupils loved handling materials, making Christmas wreaths with tinsel, lights, bows, cinnamon sticks and more. Her work has inspired my art teaching too." Kate Bilton Teacher, Tweendykes Special School.

"Ellie Collins' paintings are alive with an energy born of childhood imaginings and freedom of movement.There is a dance on the surface of the canvas -pure and concise which evokes all that is delightful about color and the sensuality of the paint. Isolated images are like words in a secret language.The tension between play and the fierce sureness of her brush defines her genius, which I admire and envy." Pam Toll, Co-Founder of "No Boundaries Inc"(A biennial International Art Colony on Baldhead Island North Carolina) and fellow painter.

"Ellie Collins' work is full of life and layered with bouncy energetic strokes of colours, from coal blacks to baby pink gloss paint that react to each other in vibrant dialogue. Her work is a combination of smudges, scratches and scribbles, like secret messages straight form the heart layered and woven together. Like visual jazz; paint dances across the canvas creating bold and honest rhythms. I met Ellie on a residency in North Carolina and she struck me as somebody who was a dedicated artist, who stayed up all night to paint in a shed on the beach while a hurricane swirled all around us. She has the energy of nature and the sensitivity of it too and this is apparent in her work." Rosie Newman, artist.

"Ellie Collins was selected for an artists placement (AA2A) which is a national scheme backed by Arts Council, giving established artists opportunities to access facilities in our art and design schools. We were interested in having Ellie work with us because of the quality of her painting which sits in a post abstract expressionist context, and is intelligent, poetic and exuberant. Ellie wished to make use of our printmaking facilities as the main focus of her placement to extend the possibilities evident in her painting. Ellie made good use of this opportunity and staff and students benefited from having a professional artist working in their midst. Her lecture to staff and students about her work was well received and Ellie exhibited in our gallery, completing her placement with us." Rob Moore. Dean. Hull School of Art and Design.

"Kuntur Fine Art Gallery (Amsterdam) showed an exhibition of the paintings of Ellie Collins in April 2008. The exhibition fully responded to the expectations of the public, used to see art. And so were the reactions of the visitors during the period the exhibition was running. The reactions were very enthusiastic and positive. The work of Ellie Collins is strong and original, refined and fresh, qualities that prove the artist is a real professional. As a gallerist, it was an interesting and pleasant experience to work with Ellie Collins." Ruben Herrera, Director, Kuntur Fine Art Gallery.

"Ellie was good...She made the sessions very interesting." R.S "Ellie helped me with my art [and] explained things well." S.P "I loved the artwork, projects and workshops." J.B "[Ellie has a] kind and understanding manner, interesting projects." S.W "Fantastic." C.M "Good at making things and good ideas!" B.F "These are the views from 8 Art People who were with Ellie when she set up and realised the real need for a group of this calibre in 2005." Debbie Bosanquet, Support Worker for 8 Art People. 8 Art People, a group of artists with varying degrees of learning and physical disabilities who meet to work each week at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe are: Robin Scatcherd, Sarah Pirie, Joanna Barraclough, Stephen Woolley, Christine Markham, Brian Firmstone and June Coulson.