Ellis' body of work consists of 68 flower and foliage water colour drawings. It is not known if Ellis received any form of training, though her work is typical of its time. Her studies were of common local plants, mostly those found in fields and hedgerows, such as primroses, bluebells, and violets. The work has been lauded for its accuracy and realism.[1][5]
The mounted album of her work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Ireland. Burton commented on her work: "I have not for a long time seen anything that gave me so much pleasure to dwell on ... they make my own work appear rude and false that I am more than ever alive to my defects."[1]