Ellen Athens was born in San Jose, California in 1958. She studied at San Jose State University as an art major, but an interest in rural living and alternative education, led to a move to coastal Mendocino, California in 1979. She attended the 3 year Mendocino Art Center Textile Apprenticeship Program, graduating in 1982. Since then she has woven tapestries in her nearby studio, as well as creating jewelry and mixed media artworks.