Meet Diana Smith
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Artist Statement
After working as an art director/graphic designer for 30+ years, I decided I needed a creative outlet just to please myself. In advertising, you are at the mercy and whims of clients, ad execs, attorneys, etc., who generally edit and tweak your original design or idea to the point of being unrecognizable. So, some years ago, after decades in the Atlanta area, my husband and I finally had enough of big city life (and traffic) and relocated to the tiny town of Washington, Georgia. It is one of the few places in that part of the South to somehow escape destruction during the civil war, and is widely known for its beautiful Victorian and antebellum homes. It also had a cute little farmers market where I first hit upon the notion of working with gourds. In addition to the usual fruits and veggies, the market sold Martin gourds for making birdhouses. They also featured the work of local artists, and I thought it would be funny to enhance Martin gourd birdhouses with decorative columns and pediments typical of the architecture so prevalent in the area. I found that I liked working with gourds so much that I began experimenting, decorating them in a wide variety of themes with paint and felt-tip markers on gourds of various shapes and sizes, as there was gourd farm nearby where I could go and pick them out myself. Although I was still busy with freelance advertising work, I found time to paint gourds and displayed them in a local shop. In 2014 we made another move to the Mount Dora, Florida area. I actually grew up in Central Florida and found myself pulled back to my roots after nearly 40 years in Georgia. Atlanta was too big, and Washington eventually felt too small and remote, so like Goldilocks, we went in search of something that seemed just right, and here we are. I still do some freelance advertising design, but now have more time to work on gourd projects and other forms of art. I hope you enjoy my whimsical pieces as well as the wonderful variety of other art and artists found at Artisans. |
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