Meet The Artist – Diane Coe

I was first a Shepherd and a FarmHer, loving my quiet rural life on our small 5 acre farm in Maryland. After 15 years of Homeschooling my kids and farming for 7 years, I finally found time for myself and decided to pick-up my paint brushes by signing up for an online watercolor class. It felt so foreign to me, but the more I practiced and found my niche the more I felt confident in myself as an artist. I think the timing was perfect for me to get back into art because as I’ve grown closer to 60, the farming was becoming more difficult. My husband will retire in a year and we will relocate to Texas, so I’ve re-homed all my sheep and only have 5 Muscovy Ducks for an occasional egg. One priority in finding our next home is a cottage studio so that I can be as creative and messy as I want. I keep telling my husband that there’s more to it then just having a “room”….it’s a place that I can feel and allow the creative soul within me to come alive!

 

I’ve always been known as a “Crafty” person. As a kid I painted by number on the velvet boards I’d buy at the Five & Dime Store! I was the little girl who sewed, did handwork of all kinds and it carried over into my adult life; I was a blue ribbon quilter prior to a car accident that injured my hands. I sewed for my kids, designing dresses from magazines and making doll clothes. That came honestly from my mom who was an amazing seamstress! I knit, I spin wool, I also do some rug hooking…if there is anything to be done by hand I can do it or have done it!

Artist Diane Coe spinning wool

I also come from a long line on both sides of our family, of “retired” artist! My grandfather started painting in his later years….which to me then was old, but he died at 65, so he really wasn’t THAT old!!! I’d say it’s in my blood! I am a total right brainer, who doesn’t get along well with numbers except if it’s painting by them!!!

I remember loving watercolor when I was in a High School art class my senior year. It is so forgiving! I think it allows a lot of freedom for expression by the way it moves and flows. It reminds me of dying on silk which I did for a short time. I’m still learning many different techniques, but I finally feel like I’ve found who I’m meant to be in my expression of art.  I also love acrylics!!! I love to layer and layer until I get it “right”….but acrylics are heavy and watercolor is light. They both have their place in my life depending on what I’m feeling.

Where do you find inspiration for your painting?  

I find my inspiration in the beauty of creation. I hold that inspiration in my memory of the barnyard where I loved being close to The Creator in His creation! The antics of my animals and the stories give me what I need to create. I’m working on writing and doing the artwork for some children’s books, but that’s to be completed after I get my cottage studio in Texas!

What has been your greatest challenge as an artist?  

My greatest challenge is finding and making the time to be still enough to create. Creating is feeling. Feeling for me comes from being still. Right now, my life is anything but still. We’re packing and sorting through 30 years worth of memories and stuff. I haven’t made time to paint in weeks and have online classes to finish. But all things in good time. Once we are retired then I will be disciplined in making time! I have too, because my soul longs for it like a fish longs for water!!!

Is there one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring artists? 

Practice, practice, practice! Don’t expect perfection. Don’t expect to be someone else……whoever it is you admire. Instead find that niche where your soul can come alive! Then it will flow. I found it by taking lots of classes from different artist.

Yes. My art room is now what use to be our daughter’s bedroom. It’s got just 1 window and it’s grey in color. It’s not a very inspiring room. I find it boring and dull. But for now, it’s where I can be me and I’ve got my paintings on the walls and canvas board. I have several of my paintings hanging in the house. One is an acrylic I framed to enter into our local County Fair and won a 4th place ribbon! The others are small watercolors clipped to a piece of burlap ribbon in the kitchen. Our other art is from my Grandfather, my husbands Grandmother and quilts that I made in the past. All of it remind me that I can be and am an artist!

Faithful, Loving, Kind, Creative, Joyful, Laughter, Beautiful Smile, Artist, Content, Lover of Jesus

If you would like to see more of Diane’s art, you can find her at the following link: