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Diana Woods is a featured artist in Unrestrained, an all-women’s exhibition showcasing the uncensored creations depicting works that evoke contemplation in the viewer. Woods has been exhibiting her work “fresh out of college” since 1980, and shares what it was like to be a woman and wildlife painter at the time, along with advice she’d give to aspiring artists, the intention behind her work, and some of the stories that lie within her most recent paintings. This interview with Ann Korologos Gallery has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
AKG: Unrestrained is an all-women’s exhibition featuring nearly half of our full-time roster of artists. This Women’s History Month, is there anything you’d like to share about being an artist in a male-dominated industry?
Diana Woods: Being a female artist in a male dominated profession has been a challenge especially in the genre of wildlife art. I remember exhibiting my work, fresh out of college, at a wildlife show in Omaha, Nebraska in 1980. All of the work was traditional (except for mine) and I was one of two women in a large show. I think most of the people looked cross eyed at my work but I persevered. My vision for my art has always been the same through the years. It’s been a struggle though. It can be disheartening as a woman artist to be made aware of continued bias and discrimination in the art world, but I do believe that there is hope both on a local and global scale. I appreciate the fact that the Korologos Gallery is run by women and that half of the artists represented are women.
AKG: What is something you’d share with aspiring artists or avid collectors?
Diana Woods: For women embarking on an art career, I would encourage them to stay true to their authentic voice and not be discouraged or swayed by trends or critics. Find like-minded artists and mentors along your path to encourage and support your vision. I love this quote by Tennessee Williams, “The world is violent and mercurial — it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love — love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.”
AKG: The work you create is intriguing, mythical, and raw, yet whimsical and uplifting. What is the intention behind the art you bring to the world?
Diana Woods: I am compelled to create work that brings the viewer a sense of wonder. The natural world and its mysteries have been my inspiration since I was a child. Throughout all of recorded time, humans have depicted animals in their art. Animals help us understand our world, often acting as a link between the civilized and the wild, between the known and the mysterious. Animals offer us a window into the sacredness of all that is. Life can be endlessly magical, if we look around us. Through my work I am attempting to recreate these moments of transcendent awareness and wonder.
AKG: You are known for painting the characters of your grandfather’s tall tales, like Bruno, or incorporating characters of your own, like the magpie, “Pie,” or the doe that would find sanctuary in your garden. Tell us about these friendships or interactions you depict between seemingly unrelated animals.
Diana Woods: I often paint various animals together in a piece. There is a myriad of interconnection and interdependence in nature. Many symbiotic relationships form. In my painting, “A Mischief of Magpies,” I wanted to show this quirky friendship between the deer and magpies. Magpies, are by nature, very intelligent and mischievous creatures. A grouping is called a “mischief.” Magpies actually eat lice and ticks off of deer which helps to keep the deer healthy. In turn, they get a yummy meal. I have seen many examples of friendships between birds and mammals. Coexistence between species is necessary for animals as well as humans, both for humans our survival as well as our happiness.
AKG: In The World According to Bruno, what does the “empty” space above Bruno depict? Tell us more about this world according to Bruno.
“The World According to Bruno” is an exploration of my interpretation of Bruno’s inner life. Across diverse cultures and traditions, the bear has held the sacred status of the ability to traverse realms. As a symbol of protection the bear is thought of as a guardian. Bruno was the protector in my grandfather’s stories he told me as a child. As a guide, he is a powerful ally for those in need.
AKG: Your paintings often depict animals, but we’ve started to see women appear in your paintings. Who is she and what does she represent to you?
Diana Woods: The woman I have been painting on the back of a horse appeared to me in a dream. I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind. At first, I thought she was perhaps an image I conjured from my grandmother‘s days homesteading in Montana. As I explored this image further, I realized it was a self-portrait. I often paint my dapple-grey horse in the paintings. This piece, Red Hill is symbolic of my journey. Horses have been present in my life since childhood and have inspired and comforted me through the years.
