Artist Biography
Diane R. Wyant
Born in 1971, I grew up in Walton, New York in the heart of the Catskill Mountains where my interest in art started at a very early age. There were several artists in my life that I looked up to as a young child, including my Father, Bursie Knapp and my Great Grandmother, Myra Bellows. Art is something I always remember enjoying, as far back as a preschooler coloring with crayons. There was even a period of time where I remember only using the ‘red-orange’ and ‘orange-red’ crayons- for every picture. They were my favorite crayons. Amazingly I still like those colors today. It seems as if I was always creating whether it was coloring, drawing, painting, playing music, or writing stories and poetry.
After graduating from Walton Central High School in 1989, I went to college at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Oddly enough, I entered as a business major, thinking only of a profitable future. It took less than half a semester for me to decide that was the wrong career path for me. The need to create was as strong as the need to breathe so I changed my major to Studio Art with a dual minor in Photography and Philosophy. Music was also still important to me, so I joined the college bands and percussion ensemble. Those formative years at LHU, I practically lived in the Fine Arts building.
Shortly after receiving my BFA in Studio Art (December 1993) I moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with my fiancée and landed my first ‘real’ job managing a One-Hour Photo lab and working part time for a photography studio. It wasn’t long after we were married that we started a family and I became a Stay-at-home-mom.
During the ‘early years’ I was still creating art every chance I had but with two small children those chances were at times very rare. Most of my artwork during the mid-late 1990’s to the mid 2000’s simply consisted of gifts for extended family and friends, a few commissioned paintings and projects and teaching private art classes for the Lititz PA Home School Association. Though my preferred mediums were Acrylics or Watercolors sometimes my only creative outlet was once again coloring with crayons. Sharing my passion for art and creativity has been one of the great experiences I have had with my children, who are also both musically and visually artistic too.
In the Spring of 2005, our family moved to Avon Lake, Ohio. With that move I was blessed with both the time and opportunities to focus on my art as a career and was able to add considerably to my body of artwork. For a few years, I was a resident artist at True North Cultural Arts center in Avon Lake where I taught Private Lessons, participated in Gallery openings and Outdoor Festivals. When they relocated in 2008, I moved my Studio to my house where I continued to teach Private Lessons and sell works on Commission. Throughout the years, my artwork has been displayed at a variety of galleries and shows throughout the Greater Cleveland area. From 2009-2019 I was employed as a Master Teacher and Assistant Program Director for Young Rembrandts of NEO and Columbus, an After School art enrichment program.
In January 2021, my husband and I once again relocated, moving back to Pennsylvania to the breathtakingly beautiful Pine Creek Valley. The mountains here have always reminded me of home and the awesome views inspire my creative process.
As always, I make it a priority enjoy Art in my life everyday.
-DRW