We were lucky to catch up with Diana Flynn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Diana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
Just out of college, I got a marketing job at Apple Computer in Northern California. It was a great company to start off my my work journey because of the quality of work that was expected.
It was a super fun environment with lots of creative people everywhere. The expectation was work hard, play hard. There were a lot of perks (Friday Happy Hour, luxury team building excursions, free food, etc.) but there was also an expectation that all work projects were to be completed at the highest level. If that meant spending another day getting it even 5% better, than that was what we did.
That level of integrity and commitment really stuck with me and years later, as I transitioned into being a full-time artist, I still think back to those early experiences and feel satisfied in knowing that I’m always striving to refine each piece until I feel like it is the best that it can be.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
From an early age, I had a very expressive side but my path to a career in art would only come along after years spent pursuing a number of other opportunities.
As a teenager, I always loved being creative with clothes. I would often have ideas for dresses and my mom would work with me to create a pattern. Then we’d go shopping for fabric and, after only a few hours at the sewing machine, my she would hand me a new “one of a kind” piece . I think that was when I discovered a love for design and fabrication.
When it came time to go to college, however, my creative interests took a backseat and I made the more practical choice of studying business. For the next several decades, I worked in marketing for technology companies before starting my own company-making design focused dog toys (as you may have guessed, a toy crazy dog was behind this idea).
It was then that I was able to revisit my more creative instincts. I was creating products from ideas and working to get them manufactured. I had to learn about materials and how to use them to form a product. That, and other parts of the business, including developing color stories and product naming, seemed to come more naturally for me. However, managing a small manufacturing business was stressful and competitive and all encompassing.
At that time, my family and I had been living on the east coast and were wanting to make a geographic change (back to a warmer climate) and Southern California, with it’s rich history of art and architecture, just felt right. Before moving, I sold my business and as soon as we were settled, I started work on what is now my art practice.
I didn’t know where the journey would take me but texture was interesting to me so I starting working with fabric (full circle I guess). Then, I began working with paint to develop unique colors and patterns and that became my first set of modern tapestries.
As I became more comfortable, I experimented with greater volume and pushed myself to elevate my pieces with higher quality framing and materials. I began adding acrylic mediums to my fabric work and loved the texture and dimension that I could achieve.
Today, my focus continues to be on texture and form while using color as a way to communicate mood. I use fabric strips to provide structure and delineation between sections with the intention of creating an overall feeling of balance and ease. With that in mind, many of these pieces are meant to work together-creating options for larger walls or spaces needing a cohesive sensibility.
I love experimenting with new materials and am always trying new ways of creating texture. This summer, I’ll be starting work on a small group of unstructured pieces that will be more like free-form wall sculptures. Distinctly different from those described above, these pieces will be larger in scale and I’ll be using color and pattern to amplify this looser form.
Stay tuned!
Have you ever had to pivot?
After spending over 10 years running my small dog toy business, it was quite a pivot to sell it and start my next chapter.
During that 10 years, I had grown the company substantially but competing with larger companies that have higher volume (translating into lower manufacturing costs) and better distribution, was difficult. My small team was overworked and I was spending most of my time with a spreadsheet, which I did not really enjoy.
At that time, I also had a young family and really wanted a more balanced lifestyle so I made the decision to sell the company and move on to the next chapter.
The next few years were spent regrouping and making the move out to Southern California.
Right away, I knew it was the right choice for me. The beautiful beaches and mountains were very inspiring but it was the culture of art and architecture that was the most important aspect for me. Now I love to spend time venturing out to museums and galleries and just seeing colorful murals everywhere. I have many artist friends here now and love spending my days making art.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What I love about making artwork is knowing that I’m helping to bring joy and meaning into the lives of the people that buy my work.
I think it’s important to surround yourself with beauty and meaning. Adding original art to a space, can really contribute to the overall depth of an interiors sensibility in the same way as special heirlooms and meaningful objects collected while traveling.
I especially love working on commission pieces. Collaborating with a collector or interior designer, in creating something special and unique is, for me, such a rewarding experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dianaflynndesigns.com
- Instagram: dianaflynndesigns
Image Credits
All photos take by Diana Flynn