Painting Memories
Merry Christmas Everyone! I pray you are all safe and healthy! Remember back … 1986 … Dayton’s department store and the scramble to get that year’s Santa Bear that likely sold out before you could purchase one. A collector, who must have got in line in time, brought over her 1986 special quilted Santa Bear for me to paint in 1988-89. That happened because of a couple of exquisite teddy bear paintings that caused a stir at the West Acres Art Show mixed in with my landscapes, flowers, and still life
paintings.
I never allowed myself to paint anything cute when I was in college or even in high school. My sister June drew cute teddy bears with belly buttons on them. I remember thinking, “I was too serious of an artist to do that”. However, in 1987, when I wanted to create some beautiful art my baby could relate to, things changed. I asked my sister Darin to bring over some kid toys to paint and she had the audacity to bring over stuffed animals. “Ooh” I said, “I was imagining plastic toys, but theses might be fun”. The truth was they were irresistible. Here I was, with my B.F.A. in fine art, starting my career as a full-time painter in 1985 and teddy bear pieces were my first real success. My professors didn’t think highly of this subject choice, but the joy of painting them brought warmth into my paintings that were never there before. Painting something you have an emotional attachment to can help you portray emotion in your art.
______________________
Want to paint over the winter?
For the last month and a half, I have been working very hard prepping for my online workshop “Building Your Center of Interest” to be taped here at my studio. See here for more info. This course is packed with helpful information and I hope my best online course yet. Since it’s online, you can just log back in and continue where you left off. You will never have to look through
your emails for that workshop link later and instead just log on. Once you pay for a video it is there for you forever. You can just log back in and continue where you left off. In the future, new videos will be added catering to specific painting skills. This is perfect for my teaching style as I can share everything I know when I am working…. and if it is overload…you can review it. This is very exciting, as I can offer courses that build on previous classes.
See Ellen’s new Workshop portal on her website
Start your new year off with powerful Compositional skills!
Building Your Center of Interest-Any Medium
January 5th, 6th & 7th 2021 | 10:00-12:00 & 1:00-3:00 Central Time
With Instructor Ellen Jean Diederich TWSA, RRWS, WSA, WW
Live Online Workshop with Personal Assistance $155.00
Get the $30 Early Bird Discount expires January 3rd
______________________
CHECK OUT MY FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | BLOG
______________________
