Artist Statement
My inspiration is the natural world in all its forms: from my vegetable garden, woodland paths and its seasonal blooms, to fields of seed pods. I keep a knife in my purse and clippers in my car, foraging from feathers to flowers.
I draw on my rich background in illustration and design to start my process. Com- position first, drawing second then painting. Sometimes I finish at a drawing. Other times I build up my paper with layers of paint, ink, and pencil, capturing the es- sence of the object. I paint with expression and energy. For me, that emotion is what I feel about the space or object.
“Bringing the outside world inside. I try to capture elements which represent the seasons of change. For just this moment they are still, a gift for us to enjoy.”
Diane Lemonides Biography
Diane Lemonides was born in Brooklyn NY in 1960 and was raised on Long Island. She spent summers taking classes at the Art Students League in NYC and attended the Rhode Island School of Design summer program. Diane then attended and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in painting, with a focus on illustration. Upon graduation in 1983, she moved to Melbourne Australia, where she lived and worked as a painter and graphic designer in magazine publishing for three years. She returned to live and work in NYC, where she was the art director for many magazines and book publishing companies. Diane launched her company, Verve Marketing & Design, recipient of local, national and global awards for creative excellence which is now celebrating its 30th year. Diane has been a passionate environmentalist and lover of the natural world all her life, from which she draws her creative inspiration. She resides in Glen Mills PA. with her husband Keith. Diane received a certificate in Botanical Illustration from Cornell University and is working on further expressing her painting voice to capture the natural world.