Description
Diane was born in Shropshire and spent the first ten years of her life at Cwm Moch near Newcastle on Clun freely roaming the hills and playing in the streams and woods in and around the farm . Regular visits to Clun and Bishops Castle rich in folklore fed a lively imagination and this was further inspired when the family moved to Hemford close to the SGperstones and Stapeley Hills with wonderful stories surrounding the formation of various landmarks such as the Devil’s Chair and the stone circles on Stapely and in the fields adjoining the farm. When trapped indoors by adverse weather conditions Diane would spend her time recreating the stories she heard and those she imagined in her drawings and paintings. These experiences continue to inspire her work today.
Moving to Birmingham to train as a Primary School teacher-led to further creative exploration both in her training and in her work with children. She became responsible for coordinating art workshops in Primary Schools wherever she taught and developed art and craft experiences for Primary aged children. She also began to explore and use artistic expression in a therapeutic context when she trained as a counselor as well as in her role as a senior lecturer training primary school teachers in Birmingham. Following a significant break raising her family, she has recently reconnected with her passion and enjoys exploring the world of etching as part of Studio 99 revising memories from her formative years as well as developing new topics. The world of storytelling underpins a lot of her work, particularly the mystical imagery of associated with myths and legends. She has exhibited with Studio 99 at Winterbourne Gallery and has also exhibited mixed media work at some local faith community exhibitions.
