Ellen Stouffer and her husband Bill live in the family homestead, an 1848 Gothic cottage that was home to Bill's father and grandfather before him. Ellen describes her home by saying, "Bill has transformed the bean fields that once surround our home, into a palette of color that begins with snowdrops in the spring and ends with asters in October." Her paintings reflect the warm memories she has of her past with family, friends, and the wonderful busy days at "Never Finished," which they call their home in Wabash, Indiana.

Since 1985, Ellen has been creating her "Country Sampler Calendars" for Lang Graphics. These calendars, which are internationally known, have given birth to other calendar series, plus a line of products that include: stationery, candles, figurines, boxes and most recently wallpaper and china products, but the calendars remain the heart and soul of Ellen's work. Through them, she says, "I have been blessed with being able to share God's direction for our lives and His promise of comfort and hope."

The paintings reflect that part of her that she describes as "gossamer wing"-the love of lace, flowers, and pretty things. But at a deeper level, her watercolor samplers are a special part of her deep faith that she loves to share with friends and strangers alike. Incorporating Biblical verses with her own unique painting style, Ellen paints memorable stories about faith, love, prayer, honesty and work.

Ellen credits her husband Bill as being her "creative partner, my encouragement, my teacher, and my friend. He fills my life with love and laughter." When Ellen married Bill in 1968, she joined a Quaker family with a rich 270-year heritage in America that includes farmers, artists, and clockmakers. Bill, an exceptional artist in his own right, has a studio in downtown Wabash, Recently they purchased Bill's mother's Victorian house and created a studio for Ellen. "Along with the house," Ellen says, "we inherited her cat who thinks that a drawing board is a bed, at least if you are trying to work."

Delighting in her cats and the many "critters" that share the Stouffer's gardens and grounds, these inspire and, occasionally sneak into her paintings. "Haven't you noticed all those kitties peeking around corners, smugly playing in bastes of yarn, or curled among those many toys . . . they really do exist in the personas of Boo, Otto, and Sweet Shop and a myriad of other feline characters who call my studio home."

Ellen's paintings and her new book, A Country Sampler of Simple Blessings, continue to delight her many fans. Yet Ellen takes no credit for the popularity of her work. She gives all credit to God quoting His word and saying, "by His mighty power at work within us He is able to do far more than we would dare ask or dream-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, or thoughts.