Visual Language Studio Visit with Texas Artist Sarah Beth Banning

Sarah Beth Banning was born and raised in South Texas among rolling farm and ranch land before moving into the heart of the Texas Hill Country.  She now lives in Wimberley, a.k.a. “A Little Bit of Heaven” where she is raising her 3 children and pursuing her artistic career.  Sarah Beth currently shows work at Texas Treasures Fine Art in Boerne, TX and at her own gallery/studio space called SongBrush Gallery in Wimberley, TX.

About Me:

When I was a child my favorite toys were a pencil and paper.  My mother, grandmother, and aunts will all tell you I always knew the proper way to hold a pencil.  I’d sit for hours at 4 years old drawing the usual things little girls draw; fairies, princesses, birds and horses, so many horses.

When people ask me how I became an artist I tell them it was my love for horses.  I was a little girl without a real horse so I drew myself herds of them.

At the age of 9 I was fortunate enough to begin riding lessons.  The teacher, knowing my love of drawing horses, gave me stacks of old horse magazines.  I studied them cover to cover and made many drawings using the horses in the magazines as inspiration. What an amazing gift that old stack of magazines was to me.

I did finally get that horse at the age of 14.  She was small and dark and I named her Sassy for good reason.  I discovered that my favorite part about owning a horse was watching her run thunderously across the pasture and kick up her heels in joy.  It’s an amazing sight to see.

It was summer and I was 16 when I began to paint.  My father had bought some wood panels from the local craft store and I borrowed one, went into the attic with some craft paint, and started painting.  I was amazed at what I had done.  It actually looked good.  I think it was a painting of deer by a lake. Next, I did a beautiful horse running through a field of bluebonnets. 

The painting bug had bitten and all summer I was in the attic with my coffee, blueberry bagels, and my CD player.  It was heaven on earth.  I sold every painting I made that summer.

The following summer was truly inspirational. In high school I played the french horn very well and I had the invited to tour 7 countries in Europe with a band made up of high school kids from all across America.  I was able to see the old and magnificent European cathedrals and tour the Louvre in Paris, France.  Seeing centuries of art all together in one amazing palace was more awe inspiring than this small town Texas girl could have dreamed.

Of course my life hasn’t been perfect and filled with nothing but horse riding and European vacations. I got married far too young and that did not turn the way I thought it would when I was 17 and so naïve.  I went through some pretty dark times in my life but haven’t we all?  Without the down times how could you possibly want to reach higher and grow?

I found myself with three children, a divorce, and moving back in with my parents.  I was 24 and had no idea what to do with my life.  So, in between changing diapers and nursing babies I started going back to school.  I took my first painting class and hit it off with the teacher.  Soon we were pretty good friends and it was her influence that helped me realize I needed to pursue art.  I am very grateful for that.

I received a B.F.A  with a major in painting from Texas State University.  I guess I was like a lot of graduates and struggled with the post college dilemmas of job hunting and real life.  It didn’t take me long to just start doing what I had always done and before I knew it my house was full of giant paintings. That’s when I teamed up with Justin Black and together we opened a gallery and studio space in downtown Wimberley, TX.  Justin is a wonderful musician, artist, and designer.  He has been very supportive of me and all my artistic endeavors for the past three years.  He is my rock.

We call our space SongBrush Gallery and we are coming up on a 1 year anniversary. If you find yourself in Wimberley stop by, say hi, and watch me work on my latest painting.

                                         

 About my style:

I have started using gold leaf in most of my oil paintings because I feel it gives the paintings the right dramatic effect I am going for.  I want my art to make an impact.  I want them to have a rich vibe and be larger than life.  My paintings consist of old school subject matter with graphic elements.   My art is transitional because it takes iconic western images and brings them into the now and that is epic.

Visit Sarah's website

www.songbrushgallery.com

Studio Visit Visual Language sits down with Artspan Artist Joe Belt

Artist Joe Belt grew up in west Texas with an eye for composition and a love of the outdoors. He trained in the fine arts at Texas Tech University. His art has been shown nationally and collected in half a dozen foreign countries.

Joe works with many subjects such as wildlife, portraits and ranch life, but is best known for his highly detailed pencil drawing of American Indian subjects throughout North America. Texas Tech published some of his earliest work in The Pencil Drawings of Joe Belt. In addition to his pencil drawings, his work in pastels, charcoal and watercolors have been featured on movie posters, book covers, album jackets and architectural murals.

Joe currently lives in Columbus, GA. His most recent drawings have concentrated on the native cultures of the Southeast. He is a charter member and on the board of directors of the National Western Art Association and a member of the American Academy of Fine Arts.

http://joebeltstudio.artspan.com/

Joe designed the artwork for the Ossahatchee Indian Festival logo as well as the drawing and design of the print that will also be used as the T-shirt design. He has often been a part of the Ossahatchee Indian Festival.

Visual Language Studio Visit with Nocona Burgess

Nocona Burgess

I am Comanche from Lawton Oklahoma.  I am the great-great grandson of Chief Quanah Parker and my father is also former chief of the Comanche tribe.  Throughout my life I have traveled around the country with my family.  I have lived in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Poplar, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; and Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We traveled a lot while my parents were working on their degrees.  Many opportunities allowed us to see and experience much of the country and all the different kinds of people.  That is what my parents wanted to give to my brother and me to expand our thinking.

I have always been around art.  My dad went to school for art and education and has always painted and drawn.  My maternal grandfather was an artist, as is my maternal grandmother a quilt maker of her own designs.  My great-grandmother who raised my father, was an accomplished bead worker despite being blind.  With all this art and all these artists around me, I had no choice but to pursue art. It is in my blood.

In 1989, after a year at the University of Oklahoma, I decided to move to New Mexico, where I stumbled upon the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe.  I could draw and had painted a bit. I was pretty good and, because of my family, more advanced than most in my classes.  At IAIA my art really took off.  I had a good time and learned a lot about Native art and how the traditional forms had evolved into more contemporary styles. This is what really grabbed my attention.  I had already known quite a bit about traditional style.  I grew up knowing people like Doc Tate Nevaquaya, Rance Hood, Allen Houser, and reading about Oklahoma artists like Woody Crumbo and Kiowa 5.  I liked the idea of modern Indians; after all that’s who I am.  I loved the old style, but it seemed so distant to me.  To this day I enjoy painting old portraits and traditional subjects, but in my own style. In a way, when I paint them the subjects speak to me and I get to know them.  After looking at them over and over for hours, how can I not receive something from them?  My painting is a way of saying thank you to them for all of their sacrifices.

In 1991, I graduated from IAIA with an Associate in Fine Arts degree. I then went on to the University of New Mexico.  I found myself questioning whether art was the way to go.  Could I make a living at it?  I knew some people did, but they always seemed the exception to the rule.  I continued on with my degree with an emphasis in both studio art and native art history.

I began work at a bingo hall, soon to be a casino.  This is when I started to drift away from art.  I got promoted and made my way into management. It was pretty cool and the money was really nice; it felt good not to be a broke college student any more.  From 1991 to 1996, I worked in the casino.  My work schedule left no time for school and definitely no time for art.  I missed the art, but soon learned to live without it.  I was successful and making a good living.

In 1996, I decided the casino was not for me and I left.  I needed a new start so I moved back to Oklahoma.  I got back in touch with my people and family. I needed to get back to my art.  It was 1997, and I hadn’t worked on any art for years.  I enrolled at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) to work on my B.F.A.  There I started taking classes again and getting back into the flow.  Art was back in my life.

I met my wife, Danielle, at USAO.  She is also an artist and is very supportive of my art.  After graduation in 1999, we were married and moved back to Santa Fe.  I began painting and things started to work out.  I started to get into shows and to sell my paintings again.  My art opened doors.  

My first show was at Red Earth in Oklahoma City. 

In 2000, my brother and I were asked to be in a show in Holland, and from there the show traveled to Belgium and Germany. Since then, I have traveled around the United States and to South Africa showing my work.

I paint from historical photos of Native Americans; I’ve always had a passion for history. I grew up learning the history of my Comanche and Kiowa people. I was also encouraged to read and to find out more on my own. This was combined with my love of art. I started making art as soon as I could pick up a crayon. I recently was given a box of my drawings from my mother. These were from when I was around 3-4 years old: of course, they were Indians.

I’ve always wanted to tell a bit of a story of their lives. These were people; human beings that lived loved and fought. I never wanted my paintings to be just “Indian in a Blanket” type of art. I wanted people to see them and their story and histories and beauty and people. I try to avoid the stereotype or cultural cliché’s.  I’ve just always had a passion for those images and their stories. I am always looking for images and stories.

I also paint animals and landscapes.  The animals I paint are usually ones I’ve experienced or had the chance to observe.  We live outside of Santa Fe at the base of the Jemez Mountains and there are buffalo, coyotes, ravens, elk, hawks, eagles and so on. I really started painting animals again once I moved out here. I was just reminded again about animals when I started to see them here.

The landscapes are based mostly on eastern New Mexico West Texas and Oklahoma, between Santa Fe and Lawton Oklahoma. This was/is Comancheria, Quahada (a band of Comanches), country. I paint them in abstract way with heavy brushstrokes, in contrast with sharp edges.

I was always told to paint what you know and the 3 elements are what I see and observe, the land, the people, and the animals are what inspire me to paint. I love to drive read, observe and take it all in.

I really push myself in the studio to explore and experiment with techniques and texture and color. I don’t ever want to get to a point where it is a formula. I realize there is some sort of formula to it, but I don’t want every painting to be painted the same and the same palette, color scheme and brush strokes. I like to see the evolution of my own paintings over the years and the hopes of getting better and improving. 

http://www.eagleserpentstudios.com/

Visual Language Studio Interview with Artspan Artist Sharon Hodges

When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist?  Art kept my childhood occupied and challenged…Real life responsibilities interrupted that reverie for many years.  I feel fortunate that art can finally occupy the majority of my time now. 

Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date?  Historically, I’m an admirer of George Bellows, Sergei Bongart, Nicholai Fechin, Lucien Freud, and many others.…I’ve enjoyed workshops with Qiang Huang and Don Sahli recently, but I am mostly self taught, trial by fire…I’ve used and abused lots and lots of paint, and plan to use exponentially more.  

I read a lot, I visit as many galleries as possible, and I truly enjoy the work of all my friends.

Who is another living artist you admire and why?  I’m a big admirer of Louisa McElwain’s work.  Sadly, she passed away this year at the zenith of her artistic powers…her work is full of emotion, raw energy, and awe for the natural world…..I covet Donna Howell Sickles and Jeremy Lipking’s work…also Larissa Aukon and Amy Ringholz and Walt Gonske.  My interests are wide and varied.

What is your favorite surface to create work on or to work with?  I work on canvas, the heavier the better…and I prefer a larger surface.  Working small feels very confining.

What are your favorite materials to use?   Very large filbert brushes, large palette knives, large rubber spatulas, trowels, anything that I can smash paint around with….  

Do you have a favorite color palette?  I love color, all of it, and I gravitate to a warmer palette.  Occasionally I will intentionally paint something in a cool palette, but it takes real concentration, as it is not my natural tendency.

How often do you paint?  I paint at least 4-5 days each week, 6-8 hours each day….half the battle is showing up and getting started….then, the time just evaporates.

What is the one thing you would like to be remembered for. ?  A generous heart.

There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity?  Yes, family obligations, daily life distractions, and self doubt are all creativity crushers…We all juggle the demands of our daily lives with the need to feed our creative selves.

What are the inspirations for your work?  The natural world is my greatest inspiration.  I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to spend time observing and painting nature, the landscape, and animals. I seek to capture emotion……a frozen moment, a feeling…..and translate that to the canvas…….I’m still figuring out how to do this…It is not a tangible thing…Success will come when the viewer experiences a similar emotional response to a painting…The best practice may be to run around at night catching fireflies….it’s the ‘AHA’ moment if you ever really get one…THAT’s what I’m after.

How do you overcome these obstacles? Just getting to the studio each day helps…I am blessed w/ a supportive husband, friends, and great studio partners who encourage my work.  The smell of the paints, good music, the quiet company of a painting friend or two is helpful for me.

What is your favorite way to get creative juices flowing?  Just paint…for me, it is all about moving the paint on the surface, making the colors vibrate together...I’m enjoying painting thicker now…it gets dangerous, only from the standpoint that it is easy to lose control of a painting quickly when there is so much wet paint on the surface…it can turn from colorful to mud in an instant.

Which work of yours is your favorite?  My next painting is always my favorite.

Up Close and Personal

What is your favorite color in your closet? Dark Charcoal Grey..most of my clothes are covered in paint (yes, I’m messy).  My few non-painting clothes are all neutral: black, dk grey, white, taupe…I have a nice collection of big scarves and leather jackets.  I dress simply.

What book are you reading this week?  One Hundred Years of Solitude  and Love in the Time of Cholera, both by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Do you have a favorite televion show? I don’t watch much TV, but I do love Big Bang Theory and all the college football games.

What is your favorite food? Ice Cream.

What color sheets are on your bed right now? Bleached Bone White….always.  Even in my previous career in the home furnishings industry, I looked at color all day…. So my home is cream, taupe, white, linen, w/ a few black leather furnishings.  I find this neutral palette is a lovely background for colorful art and a couple of nice rugs….and it gives my eyes and brain a rest.

What are you most proud of in your life?  My step-daughter’s accomplishments…Brooke has had many challenges in her life, and she’s capitalized on her opportunities and is doing great!

Who would you love to interview?  My dog.

Do you have a passion or hobby other than painting/sculpting? Skiing and Golf 

If you were an animal what would you be and why?  Leopard, because they are sleek and fabulous…who wouldn’t want those spots?

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three things, what would they be? I realize I am supposed to say “a toothbrush, Swiss army knife, and my husband”, but honesty dictates that I state the obvious:  I’ll need a STOL jet, plenty of fuel, and a jet pilot.

Share something with us that few people know about you. I was once asked to leave a karaoke bar….for singing!!!

http://sharonhodgesfineart.com

VL Studio Visit with Kristine Byars, Artist of Texas

Galleries have a difficult time pinpointing Kristine Byars painting style. Kristine (“Kris”) likes that. Her art doesn’t seem to fit in any one category. It’s been described as, “contemporary-retro” “exaggerated-realism”, and “colorful-expressionism”. Whatever her paintings are, they convey a feeling of joy to the viewer and represent the world Kris sees. Talking with Kris, she describes her art, like her world, full of amazing people, animals, settings, and they are all bursting with life, vibrancy, and sometimes unexpected color.

Kris gives credit to her Grandmother, who was an artist, for her early inspiration. Sometimes on longer visits to their Wisconsin dairy farm, her Grandmother gave Kris and her sisters full access to her expensive pastels and encouraged them to use these tools to express themselves. “It was probably an effort on Nana’s part to gain some peace, but it was special for us. Both of my sisters had more innate talent, but I was the only one who stuck with painting.” laughs Kris. Then while still in High School Kris was given the opportunity to work for a small advertising agency called Kruse & Associates. These wonderful folks provided her with a life direction, and an outlet for creativity. She started on the boards...no computers of any kind. A self-portrait of agency owner Richard (Duke) Kruse hangs prominently on the wall in Kris’ studio.

She bought the painting last year at 89-year-old Duke’s solo art exhibition. After college, Kris worked in agencies and design firms for years, finally freelancing as an Art Director. But there was never time nor energy for painting. So she was thrilled, ten years ago, when her husband Steve encouraged her to return to painting.

“I really love, and am proud of what I do.“ says Kris. She works primarily in oils, occasionally in oil pastel. She took on challenging gouache for a recently completed children’s book project, as she wanted the vibrancy of oil but the matte finish of the gouache. But now that the book is complete, she firmly claims her allegiance to oils!

Kris’ inspiration comes from several places which she lists as her love for animals, small towns, nature, global travel, and everything Texas. “Sometimes I think I might have been born in the wrong era, because I gravitate toward all things from the 30’s 40’s and 50’s.” She adds. The children’s book is entitled “Montana The Police Horse”. In it her loves are showcased. Fellow equestrian and friend, Debra A. Knapp wrote the story and Kris illustrated. Debra feels Kris captures horse’s emotions. Kris paints many animal portrait commissions and loves meeting every single critter, whether it’s dogs, cats, horses or longhorns.

When not painting, Kris can’t stay away from her Quarter Horse Sparky. “He’s so gorgeous I could just stand there—slack-jawed—and look at him. Or paint him. Then I remember he’s a really fun ride as well and hop on.” She says. Because Kris lives in Dallas, boarding Sparky is necessary. That’s what takes her to the country at least twice per week. On her route to the barn, She drives as many back roads as possible, and always keeps her camera ready to capture paint worthy scenes and subjects.

One of Kris’ favorite things to do is volunteer at a very special place called “Cleveland Avory Black Beauty Ranch” in East Texas. It’s the nation’s largest animal sanctuary and home for formerly abused, unwanted and neglected animals. Says Kris, “Kind of like the Island of Misfit Toys. I adore it. It’s a very tranquil place with a lot of really caring people who show the resident animals respect, kindness, and safety.” Kris has recently completed several lively murals which cover the bedroom walls in the Chimpanzee enclosure, as well as in their play yard. “The bedroom wall is a night-time jungle scene, complete with glow-in-the-dark moon and stars! “says Kris. She has accumulated a wealth of great stories connected with those painting projects!!

Home for Kris is shared with her encouraging husband Steve, full-figured cat Bo-Peep and Golden Retriever Augie—”the world’s kindest soul”, according to Kris. Discussing her marriage, Kris says “Steve possesses the remarkable business abilities that escape me, and my creativity softens, and takes him out of his element. He helps me with every aspect of my craft including sometimes brutally honest painting critiques!“ Steve is an avid sailor and together they have traveled worldwide and bare-boated in some of the world’s most beautiful places. One more source for artistic inspiration.

Kris feels very fortunate. “I often look at my life and wonder, how it is that I am so blessed? I’m hoping the answer lies in Karma.” Regardless of your religious beliefs, good brings good. And Kris tries to reflect that world in her artwork.

Studio Visit Visual Language with Dave Sime and Connie Morse

Connie L. Morse and Dave Sime are two artists who combine the creative process of painting, sculpting, music, acting and writing along with their love of travel into a successful career.  

The couple met in Montana and began an adventure in plein air painting and performing that was to last for twelve years on the road.  Traveling in an Airstream trailer with their golden retriever, Elvira and long haired Himalayan cat, Chang, they painted throughout the west from British Columbia to the Baja.  Side by side they recorded the activities of the people and landscapes as varied as the ranches of Montana to the last remaining fishing villages on the Pacific coast.

“I love to paint wildlife says Morse and we’ve spent the biggest part of our years on the road visiting every National Park and recording the scenery and animals that inhabit these very special places.”

 Both Sime and Morse feel a deep connection with the land and the animals that inhabit it. As a result their artwork encourages wildlife conservation and the preservation of open space. Morse depicts a herd of elk studied in Rocky Mountain National Park in her oil painting: “Royal Gathering”.

Instead of painting in a studio they prefer to paint on location such as the deserts of Arizona, the Grand Canyon, the Tetons of Wyoming and the west coast. Each area they visit provides them with new artistic stimulation and a variety of subject matter from landscapes and seascapes to wildlife and portraits. For many years, nature has been Connie and Dave’s instructor and the outdoors their studio.

Feeling the urge to settle down they chose Durango, Colorado as the perfect location because of the varied landscape painting options available in the Four Corners region. They continue to paint en plein air and return to their Red Cliff Studio to complete finished works of art.

Connie and Dave’s most recent endeavor is the completion and publishing of “Lonepine” a historical, erotic, western romance set in Montana, 1962. Autographed copies are available 

on their web site and the e-book can be downloaded from all major providers.

Dave Sime and Connie Morse are accomplished musicians. Dave plays several instruments including guitar, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica and dobro while Connie plays guitar, keyboards and bass fiddle. They have recorded two CDs: “BORDERLINE” and “OLD OUTLAW”

As a musical duo Connie and Dave call themselves “Borderline”, a fitting name, as in the 90’s they traveled from state to state entertaining audiences with their country and contemporary music. They have played in lounges from Fairmont Hot Springs and Grouse Mountain Lodge in Montana to the Bright Angle Lodge at the Grand Canyon. Resorts throughout the west have also enjoyed this couple’s unique and exciting concerts and dances. They perform in many different locations and situations. They may be dressed in buckskins playing around a campfire at a dude ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming or you could find them wearing Hawaiian colors for an outdoor concert by the pool, in Mesa, Arizona. They have even played in a few honky tonk bars along the way! Plein Air painting was worked in between the gigs.

Connie L. Morse was born in a booming mining town called Rio Tinto, Nevada. Her mother and father owned the Mountain City Hotel and one of her fondest childhood memories was of going to sleep at night with the sound of music drifting up through the hardwood floors of the old hotel for 

the Saturday night dance.  A ranching community Mountain City consisted of eighty people, eight bars and a general store. 

Having an artistic father also had a lot of influence on Connie and at an early age she completed her first painting using his oil paints. What makes an artist? Is it heredity, environment or just lust 

for life?

Connie’s bold brush strokes and brilliant use of color make her style distinctive and appealing. She has been in the “Arts for the Parks” competition top 200 in 1995 and 1996. In 2004 she was juried into the top 100 for the miniature show and contest. She was a guest artist with the Plein Air  Painters of America in 2001 and again in 2003 for the organizations 18th gathering on Catalina Island.  She was interviewed for the book, Enchanted Isle which includes a full page image of her painting “Corona” an old sailboat anchored in the bay.  She was also a guest artist with the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters in 2003.  Her plein air painting, “Beaver Meadows” 18 X 24 oil, won the Collectors Choice Award as well as one of the top eighteen and top three awards out of over 450 paintings.  Juror: Ed Trumble, Leanin Tree Museum of Western Art. 

Connie won the “Best Painting” and “Best of Show” awards for her painting entitled “First Snow” at the Visions of America show at the El Presidio Gallery in Tucson, Arizona. Jurors: Richard Iams and Greg Wallace.

Dave Sime, has spent a lifetime studying, sketching, painting and sculpting his landscape, western, Indian and wildlife subject matter. Some people find their calling in life early on and through many different directions the journey ends right where it started. As a young boy Dave carved small birds which were correct in every detail and mounted over driftwood found on the shores of nearby lakes or streams. Today he incorporates natural driftwood into his clay sculptures which are then cast in bronze. He states, “The wonderful forms found in nature cannot be duplicated by man so I find satisfaction in the inclusion of these forms with my sculptures.”  

Sime conveys the gentler side of a Montana grizzly in this limited edition bronze sculpture, “Something in the Wind”. While working for the Forest Service, he encountered this bear in the north fork of the Flathead River near Glacier National Park. Here he shows the large bear, an almost silver tipped grizzly alerted by something in the air. 

Concerning his “Silent Watch” sculpture he states, “When I was sixteen I spent the summer of 1956 on a United States Forest Service, forest fire lookout called Cougar Peak in northwest Montana. While on a hike I saw a mountain lion about thirty feet away and never forgot his intense look and attitude. After all these years I created this sculpture from that encounter.

Dave Sime’s deep sense of feeling, knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject matter, whether it be wildlife, Indian, western or whimsical themes allow him to paint or sculpt clean lines and fluid forms. They declare their presence with expressive emotion and gestures capturing the feeling and attitude of the subject to involve the viewer in a visual adventure.

He owes a great debt of gratitude to watercolorist, Harold Olsen and sculptor, John Coleman for their knowledge and instruction.

Dave Sime’s sculptures and watercolors have been juried into Gilcrease Museum, Mountain Oyster Show, Charlie Russell Show, Arts for the Parks and the Briscoe Museum of Western Art.

Together, Connie Morse and Dave Sime have found the true meaning of their creative lives.

Web Site: www.redcliffgallery.com

Email: info@RedCliffGallery.com

Visual Language Studio Visit with Diane Whitehead, Wildlife Artist living in the Wild!

"Life’s journey finds me surrounded by crystal clear sea foam green water, pthalo blue skies, crimson Indian paintbrush flowers, and still de grain brown tamarack.  I live and work in the mountains in Montana high above the small town of Ovando. 

How did I get here? My story is blessed with twists and turns and as I believe in fate, this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

Born second of eight children in Spokane Washington, I was of the generation that when you finished breakfast in the morning you left the house and were not expected back until dinner time. By foot or by bicycle no one worried about where you were or what you were doing. My brothers and I never left the house without our towels and our swimsuits so we were ready for the local public swimming pool to open, as this was where we spent most of our days in the summer time.Years later I learned that my husband to be happened to be at the same swimming pool most days as well.

My teenage years surprised me with a desire to paint with oils. A relative happened to give me a set of oil paints and some Walter Foster “how to paint” books in grade school. Following the instructions I found that I became an individual in the process instead of just one of eight kids, fighting for their own identity. I continued to paint anything I could think of until I got married and had my daughter. Working in the pharmaceutical field and then in Real Estate, 26 years later I found myself no longer “found”. My individuality and my soul seemed to be scanning the horizon for something meaningful. Still raising four kids at the time, I bought some paint, 100 blank canvas and told myself that if #100 was not significantly better than #1 canvas than I had to find something else todo besides paint. 

They all sold, and at the time eBay was the best online site to sell. While listing paintings on eBay, I could continue to paint and teach myself better skills.  A workshop with Carolyn Anderson, Reid Galey and Jove Wang really opened my eyes to impressionistic style of painting and my work seemed to evolve with each painting.

Moving from Spokane to Park City, Utah became the shift that changed the way my work became available to the public – From online sources to Gallery presence.

My dream had been to be juried into the Western Masters show in Great Falls, Montana and acceptance into prestigious juried shows throughout the United States.  This has all come into fruition and I continue to dangle my own carrot in front of my nose and challenge myself daily.

Today I am a full time resident of Montana, walking a short path to my studio on the water, and when I sit at my easel my heart bubbles up with joy and gratitude for I have been blessed with the ability to determine my every moment of my every day. I think I can contribute my determination and my drive and the fact that I realized early on in life that I was always at choice. I was not a victim and only I could be in charge of my daily life. I never could succumb to the tyranny of immediacy, having a boss who was himself having a bad day or hated his life, which did then affect mine when all was said and done. 

I have fought to find my own words in my images and my work. Painting is like your signature and your fingerprint. Others can try and copy, and believe me they do, but they cannot be the same being that you are when you paint. Your “stuff”, your “story”, your own personal history will come out. You can try to emulate another artist, but when you boil everything down to just you, the paint and a blank canvas, that’s when the truth comes out.

My major in college was veterinary medicine and business, of which both were essential to my love of animals and the skill you need to run your own business as an artist. I love the eyes of the animals. I often encounter bear, coyote, wolf, fox and mountain lion in this area- I have a critter cam and my camera handy at all times. but most bears I have encountered are not aggressive or worrisome.  

I am currently represented by galleries in Jackson Hole, Park City, St George, Sundance Resort, Dallas Texas, Crested Butte Colorado, Big Timber Montana and PawsUp! Resort in Montana- I often paint live for groups at PawsUp and am preparing for the Western Masters show in March. "

Diane Whitehead

Dianewhitehead.com