Today we’d like to introduce you to Dianne Harrison.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I wish I could say I grew up constantly drawing and knowing I would become an artist. That is not my story. I have always been keenly observant of everything around me, but I never thought of myself as an artist. I have always loved looking at paintings but never saw myself becoming a painter. That all changed when I entered a graduate program at the Rhode Island School of Design. I had been volunteering to create an art program at the Howard School in Atlanta and decided that I needed some formal art education to provide a better program for my students.
It was at RISD that I became an artist. Living and working among other artists I felt I had finally found my “tribe”. I had outstanding instruction in life drawing, painting, and printmaking. I had intended to return to teaching upon completing my masters, but to my surprise, my experiences at RISD led me to make a commitment to painting full time. I think of the completion of that program as really the beginning of a lifelong learning process. I continue to take classes and workshops with master painters and to learn all I can on my own. Because I was in my thirties when I started on this journey, I have come to embrace the idea that artists are made, not born.
Please tell us about your art.
I am interested in capturing a specific moment in time. I want my paintings to evoke a sense of quiet and peacefulness in contrast to our hurried world. I think people who collect and appreciate my work can see that in my paintings. I paint in oil, primarily from life. My main subjects are still life and landscape. In still life, I am most interested in the pattern of light falling on the objects. I often see a still life set up as figurative. My vast collection of vases, pots and other favorite objects seem take on a persona when they are juxtaposed with each other.
I have a deep respect for the power of nature to soothe and heal us. Painting outside by water, in the mountains or the woods is where I am most at peace. It is always challenging to try to capture the ever-changing scene. The Chattahoochee River, the mountains of North Carolina and the coast of Maine are my favorite locations for painting.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
In our technologically driven world, people are bombarded with reproduced images of all kinds throughout their day. We can peruse the collections of most of the world’s major museums online in seconds. Seeing hundreds of beautiful images throughout the day isn’t unusual for people on social networks. In this environment, it is difficult for artists producing one of a kind originals to compete for the public’s attention.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have been represented by Frameworks Gallery in Marietta for many years.
I have a studio in Roswell along the Chattahoochee River where I host group painting sessions and hold small workshops. I welcome visitors to my studio to see my work.
The teacher in me genuinely enjoys convincing doubters they can learn to paint if they have a desire to learn how to see as a painter sees.
My website, dianneharrison.com is the place to see more of my work or leave me a message. I can also be contacted at studiotheo@earthlink.net.
Contact Info:
- Website: Dianneharrison.com
- Email: studiotheo@earthlink.net
Image Credit:
Dianne Harrison
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