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Welcome, I'm Dianne

IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU

As an artist my style has changed over the years but my love of detail has always remained. Even in my early acrylic paintings rendered in a hard edged slightly abstracted style the light patterns were detailed shapes.

The beauty seen in a subject directly relates to the infinite light, color and shape combinations found in nature. Striving to capture those complexities my subject matter is varied; a tangle of leaves, light catching in trees, in water ripples, or in the iridescence of bird feathers. A favorite subject is the human form leading to portraiture especially character portraits capturing a moment in time whether it be an adult or a whimsical moment in a child’s life. Again, detail is important, the way the light falls on the skin or the reflection in the eyes.

Calligraphy is another art form at times incorporated into the art or art added to a work of calligraphy enhancing the meaning of the passage. The calligraphic characters themselves have become the piece in some cases. The more unusual the request the better it is. This includes original wedding documents and invitations.

Illustrating two children’s books was a joy and an extension of having illustrated educational material for several companies including designing poster sets. One of the books was featured in UNC Chapel Hill’s award program “Picture A Book”.

My work is done in traditional methods, always using archival materials and framing. Watercolors and oils are planned, then transferred to the final surface. Then layers of color are applied to achieve richness, texture and dimension. Painting on raw silk in watercolor and gouache was an interesting experience and gave softness to the piece.

“Italian Rooftops”was an experiment in oil painting over gold leaf. After the painting was complete, the highlights were scratched off to expose the underlying leaf. The result is a pleasant surprise when seen in certain lighting situations just as actual scenes are lit by the sun for an instant only to disappear a moment later.

Restoration has been an unexpected joy; restoring and conserving damaged pieces of art and damaged frames to new life. It is a natural extension of an artist’s skills as the knowledge of the process and materials are already in place.

My hope is you will find me suitable for any of your artistic desires. No matter the project you can be assured every effort is made to please both my client and myself. The project completed I am reminded of a line in M. B. Goffstein’s book, “Of Paul Cezanne”, “A great painting in a great museum, regardless of its subject, is a portrait of the artist who, like a child, gave his whole heart to the project.”

Thank you for perusing a lifetime of work.

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