Blog
Stepping Stones – Painting of the Week
Transferring Memories
Friends from Fargo invited me to join them on some hiking adventures in the desert. Twice we went to Murray Canyon where amazing large palms line the mountain springs. The trail led us back and forth across the stream. As in my painting Stepping Stones, we mostly used large boulders and sometimes tree trunks to bridge across the water. This unmanicured natural park was very challenging, slippery and often risky to hike. It would have been lovely if we all looked and sang like Sleeping Beauty as we gently leapt from stone to stone, but safety was required and I began plunging my tennis shoes into the cold water to get across the bubbling brook. Despite that, it was very inspiring to be in this beautiful wonderland.
Early in my career, I looked up at a building in New Orleans and saw the most amazing colors on it. My photos were disappointing, but the image was fresh in my mind and so I worked successfully to paint a beautiful rendition of what I remembered. This is more than painting what you see, but you can still use the imagery to guide you. My memory of the canyon was also more beautiful than my photographs. Therefore, black & white sketches as well as color sketches were used to compose this painting. What you forget, you may not need. Making notes about what strikes you can help finish a piece.
Sincerely,
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Stepping Stones is now available to order as a Giclee on a variety of surfaces, on Fine Art America! They publish beautiful reproductions!
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/stepping-stones-ellen-jean-diederich.html?newartwork=true
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Walk Softly by Ellen Jean Diederich
Abstraction and Color Transitions
A Watermedia Workshop with Ellen Jean Diederich
June 18-20, 2025 10 am to 3:30 pm
Learn what we are doing in my 3-day watercolor workshop. ( Print attachment or click on link for more info or to sign up. Paint 3 consecutive days where you can leave your supplies safely overnight and practice combining abstraction with your subject matter. I highly recommend this class for any level painter to learn more about the beauty of watercolor.
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