Born in Akron, Ohio, Diann was constantly challenged to overcome the barriers of a provincial upbringing where women in her family were expected to become housewives, teachers, secretaries or nurses – definitely not artists. Diann had several devoted art teachers in high school to encourage her, but she is mostly self-trained except for a few online and university art courses. Although she worked most of her life in a standard office job, she never lost her passion and love for art. While in Denver, she was the featured artist in an exhibit of portraits at Colorado Women’s College.
In the 1980s Diann moved to California and currently lives in San Jose. She is passionate about abstract expressionism. She originally painted in a realistic style, mostly people and animal portrait commissions. Her clients often said that she captured the soul of whomever she painted. Now Diann delights in the freedom to “break the rules of realism” and enjoys new discoveries and paths in abstraction. She paints and draws with acrylics, inks, oils, oil pastels and charcoal to explore all facets of our physical, emotional, and spiritual environment.
Note: The slideshow pauses automatically if you have a cursor over it on a laptop/desktop or touch it with your finger on a device with a touch screen. To resume auto play, just move the cursor away or take your finger off the screen.
