Three Ring Studio (Donald Ely)

About the Artist

Living within a short car drive from Washington D.C. means that I’m asked a recurring question from every new person I meet: “What do you do?” Answering that question is challenging and varies depending on whom I’m talking to. Some days I’m an illustrator, others I’m an art director, graphic designer, pattern maker, or muralist. The truth is that I am all of these things, hence the name Three Ring Studio. Like a three ring circus, which has three adjacent rings where performances often take place simultaneously or individually, Three Ring Studio operates as a multidisciplinary creative studio that specializes in art direction, illustration, graphic design and textile design simultaneously or individually. Being inspired by things like the circus, music, children’s books, fairy tales, film, and art, means that my work naturally has a sense of wonderment, excitement, hopefulness, and escapism. I am in a never-ending pursuit of creating work that drives audiences to think and feel inspired, energized, and hopeful. Concept is the connecting thread that binds all of my work. Whether I’m designing a public mural that speaks to an audience as young as two years-old, or rebranding a legacy professional development organization, my audience is central to every decision that I make and their understanding is what I seek. An audience that thinks and understands is a win for everyone!