August Artists

Ellen attended Suffolk Community College after graduating from Hauppauge High School and went on to Queens College in New York where she studied fine art and education. After securing her dream job in the Patchogue Medford School District, Ellen pursued her master’s degree from Stonybrook University. She has continued art courses after graduating from many different schools and institutions.

DiFazio absolutely loved her thirty-year career in education. After retiring she began this new chapter. She had raised her two beautiful, successful children and was ready for the next phase. Ellen dove back into her artwork. The family built her a studio separate from the house. It has been an absolute dream come true for her. Her studio on Hilton Head Island is available for client visits and consultations. She still takes as many art courses as time will allow.

Born and raised in the beautiful Merrimack River Valley of New Hampshire, Blake now lives with his wife Lisa Ann on Hilton Head Island.  A creative designer and self-taught artist from an early age, Blake has worked in a variety of mediums, including pencil drawing, pen and ink, digital art and furniture making – with his focus now on wood carving.  Always his favorite medium, he finds wood carving a welcomed challenge that is extremely satisfying.  When Blake was a teenager, his grandfather saw him carving with a pocket knife and decided to pass on to him a set of wood chisels he had owned since the 1930s.  These chisels are still used and cherished by Blake to this day.  For years his artwork was no more than a hobby, only known to friends and family – other priorities always taking center stage.  Then in 2017, he decided to get serious about his art.  With the love and support of his wife and family, Blake began Shattuck Clockworks – a manifestation of his love for art, design and woodcarving – creating custom, one-of-a-kind, handmade clocks.  When designing his clocks, Blake draws inspiration from many sources, including the country, the ocean, wildlife, sport, history, world culture and more!  Never making two the same, these entirely hand-carved clocks are a labor of love.  He describes his clocks in this way: “…these clocks have to do more than tell time – they need to stop time – if only for just a moment.  A brief calming timeout – allaying some of the burdens of the day – like running late or having a million things to do.”