Little Things Can Make A Big Difference
Painting of the Week – Royal Places by Ellen Jean Diederich
In 2005 I painted “Royal Places” as a celebration of Downtown Fargo‘s restoration. Last Saturday night, a peaceful demonstration changed into one of looting and rioting when outsiders showed up intent on destruction. This is even harder to swallow with the Pandemic going on. I am proud of the volunteers who showed up Sunday morning and swept up all of the broken glass. Their help sent a positive message to our local businesses. If you know any of those helpful people, please thank them. In the book “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell, he described how New York City reduced its crime level by continuously cleaning up graffiti after each act, eventually wearing down the destructive behavior. His point was “little things can make a big difference”. The immediate action of our local volunteers shows that our community will make every effort to restore our city.
When I drew out the composition for this painting, I wanted more information to work from. Downtown Fargo was bustling with business and cars and pickups blocked me from photographing the new city seats and sidewalks. So, I went downtown again and drew in and painted the foreground for this painting. Perhaps it was less realistic, but paintings don’t need to be. My intent was to show the city’s inviting atmosphere. So this little variation made the painting work.
Royal Places is available as a Giclée
To those interested in classes: I apologize for my error last week. I forgot to confirm that our online changes worked. Since students had already registered for the full workshops online, our website didn’t allow us to adjust the price. Now you can register online with a $75.00 deposit and pay in full the first day of class or simply take classes online. I hope this interests you!
Click here to see upcoming workshops
Also coming soon – my first YouTube painting video!
Sincerely,
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