Ellen Meissinger received her BFA and MFA from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Ellen began her teaching career at Oklahoma State University in 1971, where she taught until 1986, leaving to take a position of Professor of Art at Arizona State University School of Art to oversee one of the largest programs in the country dedicated to watercolor and other water-based media.

Ellen also taught countless workshops and served as a juror on many exhibitions. One of her favorite experiences was teaching several summers with the ASU Summer Program in Florence, Italy. Besides her explorations along-side her students in this important Renaissance city, she formed warm, lasting relationships with other local artists, curators, and residents. While primarily known for her vibrant, large-scale watercolors of reflective objects, flowers, and patterns, her early explorations included many works of neon and assemblage.

Her concern and research into the sustainability of natural resources, particularly water, led in 2006 to the creation of a large mixed-media installation in the historic Santa Croce Church in Florence, Italy, during the 40th year commemoration of the devastating 1966 flood in Florence that destroyed and damaged countless priceless works of art and manuscripts.

Exhibiting both nationally and internationally, she was the recipient of numerous awards and honors. A member of the National Watercolor Society and the Watercolor USA Honor Society, Ellen's work hangs in numerous museums and private collections. She touched the lives of thousands of students who passed through the ASU watercolor lab where she was still teaching at the time of her death.

Ellen leaves behind her husband, Lonnie Meissinger; two sons; three grandsons; and close family member, Jenilyn Clark. A Celebration of Life is planned within the near future.