“I believe a piece of art should invite you to enter the work,
feel the presence of its subject, and become lost in it,
leaving you with a sense of wonder and personal discovery.  
“I am an established artist, but not in the traditional sense of
a formal education.  I just try to produce quality art and do it
from my heart.”

Diane began painting at an early age; in fact, she can’t
remember when she wasn’t an artist.  A Business College
graduate, she retired from dental office administration to
pursue her love for art.   Essentially self-taught she works in
multi-mediia, and after experimenting with pastels, she “fell
in love” with the medium and became fascinated with skies,
clouds, and water, which she has explored in depth, the
results paying off in regards to her accumulation of awards
and juried placements.  Her pastel works are strikingly
realistic with cloud formations dreamy and dramatic.  Many
of her sky/cloud scenes are set off by silhouetted foliage in
foreground giving the viewer a sense of vast space.  
Recently, she has been including figures with her pastels
suggesting a story from the scene.  Diane feels pastel has
been the most expressive medium to work in, and she
continues to explore new possibilities to enhance her art
capabilities through workshops with well-known instructors .  
A native of Vandergrift, PA, a small town east of Pittsburgh,
she has resided in NC since 1982.  With residences in
Raleigh and Atlantic Beach, North Carolina’s never-ending
coastline and beautiful ever-changing sky provides the artist
with her favorite subjects to paint.

Diane’s work has been recognized by many well-known
jurors for local, regional, and national exhibitions and has
been awarded place and  purchase awards for many of her
pieces, including a First Place, Third Place, and a
Honorable Mention at the NC State Fair – Professional Arts
Category:-Graphics, Drawings, Pastels. Diana has had
sixteen solo shows and two solo shows to her credits in
North Carolina, and In addition, she has completed two
commissioned wall murals along with seminar and brochure
illustrations. She was selected for the Best of State and
National Artists and Artisans Juried Book Series 2005 by
Kennedy Promotions receiving an Honorable Mention for
one of her pastels.   Diane instructs art each week through
the Wake Technical Community College Adult Education
Program.  

A member of the Sertoma Park Artists Association, Fine Arts
League of Cary, Watercolor Society of North Carolina,
Pastel Society of North Carolina, Carteret County Arts &
Crafts Coalitition, Visual Art Exchange, and the Cary Gallery
of Artists,  Diana’s work can be found at  Nicole’sl Studio
and Art Gallery,  Raleigh, VAE-Exchange Gallery, Raleigh,
Mattie King Davis Gallery, Beaufort, Carolina Artists Studio
Gallery, Morehead City, and the Cary Gallery of Artists in
Cary.    In association with the Fine Arts League of Cary,
Diana’s work is ongoing at Glenaire Retirement Community
and the Cary Ballet Conservatory.  She is in various
scheduled art exhibits and festivals throughout North
Carolina.

            
Diane Coidan