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“I believe that the struggle to create good art is a spiritual journey and important for my soul’s development.”
Diana Woods
I think I have always been an artist. At a very young age, I felt that if I drew images on paper, that some how I could manifest them into my life: a happy family, magical gardens, lots of animals! I drew horses like crazy as a young child and when I was nine, we moved to a small farm (in Lincoln, NE) where I was able to live my dream. I rode my horses, became a 4-Hr and showed in rodeos.
The stories my grandfather shared with me about the Wild West excited my imagination and inspired much of my narrative work about wildlife and horses.
At college, I pursued degrees in art, art history and equestrian studies. Upon graduation, I moved to Montana to ski, hike, kayak and paint wildlife. Montana was where my grandfather had a ranch at one time so it was a place I always was drawn to. My sisters felt the same way so we all migrated to Whitefish, Montana.
My husband and I moved to Grand Junction to work for the BLM in wildfire. It was difficult to leave Montana but I was swept up by the beauty of the canyons and high desert. As an employee of the BLM I was able to witness a round up of the wild horses on the Little Book Cliffs Wild horse area. It was shocking and sad and has inspired me to paint them as well as get involved in their protection.
The hardships I have experienced in my life have informed my work and inspired me to push through obstacles and road blocks. I went through a divorce when my two boys were young and I had to hold down a full-time job and paint on the side. I built an art studio out of an old out building on my land and started teaching art classes to children and adults. My boys spent a lot of time in the studio with me so I could watch them and work. To this day, they are creative, artistic people and remember those days with fondness.
At this time in my life, I am caring for my husband with Alzheimer’s disease. This has been an extremely difficult time. When I have a caregiver, I am able to withdraw to my studio and lose myself in the process of creating. My art has provided a healing space for me. Covid and Alzheimer’s have been an isolating experience but it has also offered me a chance to go deeper into my work. I believe that the struggle to create good art is a spiritual journey and important for my soul’s development.
When I start a painting, I throw paint around to lay in a lot of abstract, expressionistic brushstrokes. I kind of know what I want to paint at that point and what my color scheme will be. After the initial underpainting is dry I go back in with more paint. At this point, I start building the movement and direction of the piece, allowing snippets of the complimentary colors of the underpainting to shine through.
I know when a piece is finished when it feels resolved. Sometimes I have to live with it for a bit to make sure. I like to work on a series so I can go back and forth on a number of pieces at a time, each time seeing the painting with fresh eyes.
I enjoy working in a number of mediums. It stretches me as an artist and you use different parts of your brain. Sculpting is very tactile and relaxing to me. I like turning my sculpture stand to see all the views and angles of the piece.
I began working in bronze when my mentor and friend, Dave Davis, introduced me to the medium. He was a master sculptor and taught me to weld, move clay and look at the 3-dimensional form. I got him interested in painting, so we shared a lot of ideas and growing pains as fellow artists.
I take my finished clay sculptures to Lands End Foundry in Paonia, CO. where they create the mold and pour the bronze. I create the final patina. I enjoy working in bronze because I can get such intricate details in my final piece. It is incredibly strong and durable and can be exhibited inside or outside.
I started experimenting with cold wax after working a number of years in encaustics (hot wax). Cold wax can be mixed with oil paints to produce a thick, juicy, consistency. It does not need heat to cure it and it dries to a very hard, matte surface. It dries by solvent evaporation, rather than cooling of the wax, as in in encaustic painting. The texture is produces is beautiful. Cold wax medium is a mixture of natural beeswax, Gamsol and a small amount of alkyd resin.
I was walking on a path near a Buddhist monastery on the western coast of Ireland. The path was on a steep cliff with a sweeping view of the ocean below. I came through some trees and there was a lone horse standing there looking out to sea. There was no fence or farm that I could see nearby. He wasn’t grazing…just standing there. It was such a strange encounter. I sat with him for a while wondering where he came from. In my imagination I envisioned a story where he was a mythical creature that came from the sea. When I came home, I knew I had to sculpt him.
Sisters was inspired by the three does that visit my yard every morning. They remind me of my three sisters.
Ravensong is the story of the symbiotic relationships between ravens and wolves. They develop lifelong friendships, as well as help each other find food.
It makes me happy watching my horse, Finnegan out in the pasture, hanging out with his buddies. Cowbirds like to sit on the horse’s backs to get insects and a little entertainment hitching a ride.
Sentinel is a piece that was inspired by the Bruno the Bear stories. It seemed Bruno always had a protective eye out for my grandfather. In this piece, Bruno is a strong presence, a protector. As a spirit animal, the bear is emblematic of grounding forces and strength.
‘Thick as Thieves’ was a saying my grandmother used quite often. It always made me smile. In this piece, the raven and the fox have just raided the hen house together and are off and running with their prize.
It is my hope that the viewer will feel the awe and wonder I feel when I see a wild animal. As we connect to our natural world, it acts as a mirror to our own wild nature and the divine.
Diana Woods work is featured in Lightness of Spirit, on view at Ann Korologos Gallery June 2 to June 28, 2022. Learn more about Diana Woods here.
