About the Artist

DIANA SANFORD 

Abstract Expressionism | Oil & Mixed Media | www.dianasanford.com

ARTISTIC STATEMENT & CURRENT PRACTICE 

Painting for me is a dynamic conversation with no preconceived end or agenda—an intentional embrace of the unknown, the hidden, and the unfinished. My current studio practice focuses on deeply textured, highly layered abstract expressionist paintings. I paint primarily in oil because it stays wet and open to the conversation as long as necessary, allowing me to build complex wet-in-wet surfaces using a rich variety of mediums and intuitive toolsets. This visual language is classic Northwest School, heavily inspired by the luminous, diffuse light of Puget Sound and structural, perceptual memories from days spent in the local waters and woods. In a modern world trying to pull us away through technology, these rich, organic oil layers anchor both the artist and the viewer in the physical present.

Art happens in the Present. You have to want to be there. 

BIOGRAPHY 

Diana Sanford is a Signature Member of both the Northwest Pastel Society and the Pastel Society of America. Earning her BA in Painting from the College of Creative Studies (UCSB) in 1981, her creative philosophy has always prioritized 'art for arts' sake' and the raw event of making art over a rigid final product. For over three decades, her path as a painter intermingled dynamically with her career as a licensed clinical psychotherapist (MS in Clinical Psychology, WWU, 1988). This singular intersection led to a deep structural understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings and psychological demands of the creative process. Today, she channels this lifetime of expertise exclusively into her studio oil practice and her JAM Session! experiential workshops.

EXHIBITIONS, HONORS & RECOGNITION 

• National Publications:  Featured prominently in North Light books collections, including Art Journey Abstract Painting:  A celebration of Contemporary Art and Pure Pastel:  Contemporary Works by Today's Top Artists. 
• Major Awards: Recipient of top industry distinctions including the Pastel Journal 100 Silver Medal (2011), Bronze Medal (2016), and the Richeson Pastel Bronze Award (2017).
• Museum & Gallery Presence:  Highly curated exhibitions including a Curator's Selection at the Butler Institute of American Art (2016-2017), alongside notable regional shows at the Moses Lake Art Museum, Collapse Gallery, and Mela    
• Distinguished Teaching: Innovator behind neurobiologically-informed masterclasses, invited regularly to facilitate sessions for regional organizations, the regional Dakota Art Workshops, and the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS).

COLLECTOR NOTE 

Diana's works are heavily organic, characterized by physical weight, multi-layered complex texturing, and subtle, shifting light environments that cannot be accurately captured digitally. Private studio viewings and acquisition inquiries can be coordinated directly via the artist's portal at www.dianasanford.com.