We were lucky to catch up with Diane Warner-wang recently and have shared our conversation below.
Diane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One Project that has been very meaningful to me is a series entitled “Woman”.
It started as a charcoal portrait drawing of a model of unknown ethnic origins. But, upon completion, it reminded me of my time living in Iran. I put it aside, but as I passed by it periodically I noticed the intensity in her eyes. Of strength, and beauty, also of weariness, but of resilience and determination. She had a story to tell. I could not pass by her any longer. I thought of the women in Afghanistan who risked their lives just to have an education. Women all over the world with this strength to fight for their rights.
I wanted to take this realistic drawing and meld it with abstraction of color, geometry, contrast of lights and darks, or saturated versus neutral colors. As well as using patterning for the body and/or clothing. This patterning consisted of various papers and tapes. From a Van Gogh themed Washi tape to a cut Japanese paper. Different origins representing women everywhere but no woman in particular.
Two of the series of seven were juried into various shows locally and internationally.
“Woman” was selected for “Women Artists Making Their Mark”, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Seager Gray Gallery and “Potentiality/Actuality” GBAO (Greater Bay Area Open), New Museum of Los Gatos, and The Salon at the Triton
“Woman X” was selected for “ACCESS: An Ordinary Notion”, Arc Gallery, depicting how women’s access to rights that should be ordinary to all are still something we are fighting for.
Diane, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I feel like I have always been an artist. When I was a child I was filling coloring books up and wanting the next one. My sister and I would make ‘masks’ out of brown paper grocery bags. Coloring, cutting, gluing, building all day long or after school.
In college I was thrilled to be able to take art classes, finally! But soon realized that art and language might not pay the bills. So, I studied psychology, computer programming, and statistics long before the term ‘STEMinist’ existed.
I have worked as a network engineer for 20+ years with companies Tymnet/MCI/Worldcom.
At 45 years old, I went back to school to study biology/biotech and have worked in that area off and on for the past 20 years.
As I was working in an analytical world, art would still enter into my problem solving. And, as I moved back into art in 2013, my analytical mind participated in problem solving in my art.
I started my art ‘career’ in 2013 painting plein air with instructors Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth. But it was Jim Smyth’s quick figure gestural sketches that really resonated with me. My focus is primarily in contemporary, abstracted figurative work.
What interests me is the moment. How each restless moment holds an entire world in its light before growing bored and drifting toward something new. What interests me is capturing that moment – the way light falls on the planes of the model’s form in the studio or how its cast shadows play across the Northern California landscape. And each moment calls for something different: canvas and oils, pen and ink, charcoal and paper. My work tells the story about a single moment. But the story told is different for each person’s unique and singular experience.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ‘sharing’!
The sharing of my art with others, AND the sharing of other fellow artists’ wonderful creations. The work of others brings me SO much joy and inspiration! I could talk about art for hours, look at work for hours.
I have developed so many wonderful friendships through art.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
What some of my non-creative friends don’t understand about my journey as a creative is that it is not, simply, a fun hobby. It is FUN! But it is a lot of hard work as well. Rewarding hard work.
It comes from deep within as a personal expression. Sometimes the work resonates with others and sometimes it doesn’t. But that isn’t the reason that I do it or the reason that I love it. It can be an exploration within (myself) OR an exploration externally (out into the world), OR a combination of both.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DianeWarner-Wang.com
- Instagram: @warnerwangdiane
- Facebook: diane.warnerwang
- Other: pigandbird@yahoo.com
