Ellen Jean Diederich: A Many-Splendored Talent

Artist. Author. Publisher. Entrepreneur.

How does such a multi-talented individual find the time to pursue and perfect her gifts? The answer, according to Ellen, is deceptively simple. “I’m never idle; a real productivity nut. There’s no ‘down-time’ in my life.”

Ellen’s artistic life began at age nine when an older sister saw a picture she drew of Bambi and encouraged her to become an artist. So her sights were set from that moment on. Drawing portraits and caricatures at bars, flea markets and businesses put Ellen though her last three years of college.

Ellen has a BFA degree in fine art and a BA in K-12 art education. Married with two children; her daughters, Monica and Brittany figure prominently in “Where’s Petunia?”

In addition to her own art, Ellen is an art instructor conducting much-acclaimed adult watercolor workshops in Minnesota, Wyoming, Arizona, Nebraska and her home state, North Dakota. She is a resident of Fargo and on weekend’s retreats to a family cottage in nearby Pelican Lake wearing gardener boots. Her love of gardening can hardly be called a hobby as it provides the subject matter for her celebrated floral watercolors as well as the inspiration for Where’s Petunia? She loves painting gardens, domesticated animals and architecture in her award winning Neo-Impressionistic style.

The artistry and imagination of Ellen Jean Diederich springs from a gifted palette and wanders seamlessly from the poignant and the adorned, to soft, comforting fields of dreams, rococo settings, and, on occasion, to delightful whimsical edges. Her creations suggest a timeless reflection of essential impressions....…honed by her extensive travels, and tempered by a sense of visualization that is at once unburdened, garden-fresh, and real.

Ellen will frequently be found speaking on the creative process before service clubs, teacher groups, and career path assemblies. Her audiences find her presentations not only illuminating but also highly entertaining. And when she isn’t appearing at one of her many exhibitions, she is much in demand for painting demonstrations or as a juror.

Her latest book, “Where’s Petunia?” is an exquisitely produced large-format children’s picture book featuring 37 of her glorious paintings. In this endeavor, she wisely chose to focus on what she knows and likes best: cats, children and flowers, not to forget a menagerie of barnyard animals. The result, “Where’s Petunia?” promises to add one more successful aspect to Ellen Diederich’s many-splendored career.