About Diane
Diane has been painting for over twenty years. Her home town is Grand Haven, Michigan, a beautiful harbor town on Lake Michigan with sandy beaches and gorgeous sunsets. Most of her life has been spent living near coastline. She now lives in the beautiful Sonoran Desert in Arizona, returning to Grand Haven to teach in the summer.
Diane is co-creator and co-leader with Doug Michaels of the unique "Heart2Art...Painting Your Journey" workshops.
Email them at heart2art@dianeolsenstudio.com for information.
"Color Your World...A "Dream Shop' for Creativity" workshops are offered by Diane as an artist/art coach/life coach. In these workshops you will spend a few relaxing hours with brightly colored acrylic paints, gels and mediums and collage materials as you creatively express your world of ideas, hopes and dreams. It will be an easy, fun place to be and you will find new creative beginnings for the child in you who needs to play.
No artistic experience necessary. Open to anyone with a spirit of adventure. All materials included. Pre paid registration necessary.
Email: diane@dianeolsenstudio.com to register.
Diane is also a Professional Life Coach. She offers warm and creative coaching for all women, especially those who have been hurt by people, circumstances, events in their lives, and those who have experieinced the deep wounding of betrayal.
Diane offers a free 20 minute phone session to determine if she can be of help, then sets up a personal schedule for the client to be coached by phone, or possibly in person.
Please email her at diane@desertharborcoaching.com to arrange a consultation phone consultation.
Artist's Statement
When my years of artistic experience, expression, experimentation, and heartfelt emotions found their place in time to come together in a unique way, what emerged from me was a new style, a new voice, a new journey in paint, which I am calling "Expressionistic Synthesis." Combining elements of realism, stylization, abstraction, impressionistic painting techniques, expressionism, color and shape dominance, and spontaneity throughout the creative process, so much of what I love comes into each new painting. How fun to find myself and my art setting sail from this "new artistic harbor".
The sun often plays a major role in these paintings because sunshine is so important to me. The sailboat is a metaphor for the journey of life, in all the places and states we find ourselves, where we have been, where we are going and even with whom. The spirit of play resounds through these works, freedom to explore and refections of how complicated we can be even when it can all look so simple.
People often remark that they have never seen anything like these paintings before. Some of the words I hear from people
are "unique", "happy", "peaceful", "musical", "compelling",
"serene", and that they "love the colors".
Please join me on this journey! May these paintings bring you some of the joy, pleasure and peace they bring to me.
Biographical Information
Born: December 12, 1950
Education:
B.A. Hope College, Michigan, summa cum laude
M.A. Western Michigan University
Awards:
Artists' Magazine, 2002 and 2006; International Artist magazine, 2002 and 2004; Tucson Plein Air Painters 2004.
Publications:
Cover of 48 Degrees North Sailing Magazine, January 2011
Who's Who in American Art 2008-2011; American Art Collector April 2006; International Artist magazine April/May 2004; Artists' Magazine May 2004; How Did You Paint That? 100 Ways to Paint the Landscape 2004; How Did You Paint That: 100 Ways to Paint Flowers and Gardens 2004; The Best of Watercolor 1995.
Diane's paintings have been shown in more than 70 national, regional and local exhibitions and shows over the last 15 years.
www.dianeolsenstudio.com
www.desertharborcoaching.org
Prior to 2008 I was known as Diane Van Noord
