Artwork of the Day: “Dakota Pride” by Ellen Jean Diederich

Today’s artwork of the day is “Dakota Pride” by Artexpo New York 2010 exhibitor Ellen Jean Diederich. Ellen’s original paintings are designed and hand-painted on 100% rag paper using the finest art materials. She’ll be exhibiting at Artexpo New York 2010 in the Givinity Press booth.

Ellen began painting at an early age, and after high school went on to MSUM, where she graduated with a B.F.A. in Fine Art and a B.A. in Art Education. From there, she went on to win numerous national and regional awards. To help pay for college, Ellen worked as a portrait artist. Today, she has a signature membership in TWSA-Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and RRWS –Red River Watercolor Society.

In addition to her own art, Ellen instructs her much-acclaimed adult watercolor workshops in many states including her own, North Dakota. Ellen frequently speaks on the creative process before service clubs, teacher groups and career fair seminars. Here’s what Ellen has to say about her creative process:

“Instead of using all the pretty colors, I use many related dull tones to enrich the pallet. My interest is in the relationships between my subjects and the space they are in and very much how the shapes touch each other. I’m not going for perfection–if I find humor I try to share that, otherwise I prefer to show the beauty of these differences.”

Be sure to stop by Ellen’s booth at Artexpo, coming to Pier 94 in NYC from March 25-28. She has a beautiful array of floral art, landscapes and other rich canvases.