AW | PROFILES Writer: Jill N. Kandel Photographer: Michael K. Smith Photography
BIGGER and BOLDER Ellen Diederich adds acrylics to her palETte
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llen Diederich was, in her own words, “a dyed-in-the-wool watercolorist.” She’s been painting since the age of twelve and has won numerous national awards. “Watercolor is underappreciated,” she said. “It’s a very timesensitive media and requires total concentration. It’s the master’s media.” In January of 2009, Diederich went to the emergency room. An MRI showed degenerative vertebrae in her neck, and she was told that her options were to have surgery or be paralyzed. Diederich’s surgery was performed at the Spine Institute of Minneapolis. “The recovery wasn’t long,” she said, “but afterwards, Dr. Perra told me I would be more comfortable painting on an easel. I knew what that meant: using an entirely different media.” Months later, Diederich ordered acrylic paints, canvases, and an easel. She even remodeled her studio, but stuck with the watercolor. “Four hours of bending my neck over a flat surface became painful,” she said,” and I knew I had to make a change.” When Diederich began using acrylic, it didn’t go well. “I put acrylic paint on two of my watercolors “because I said I would,” she said. “They were big beautiful paintings, and I ruined them!” Frustrated, Diederich signed up for an art workshop in Iowa. “My instructor, Sandi d’Alessandro, was a positive person. “She taught me some specific techniques which I adopted into my work.” This helped me get on track. The timing is also tricky in acrylic, and I gained a new understanding of this media.” After that class, Diederich began alternating between working with acrylic and watercolor. Then she took a technically focused acrylic workshop Cormorant Area Artists offered. “It was there that I learned what type of acrylic
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