About the Artist
After many years of painting, nationally known artist Diane Di Bernardino Sanborn is engaged in a visual dialogue with her work. She is interested in how they communicate with her audience. Her knowledge of color and composition is at the forefront of her visual solutions. Although her formal concerns are abstract, she has recently incorporated the figure.
Diane moves in and out of themes, media, and series; however, her work has been described as always staying true to her palette and genuine instincts.
Her degrees include an M.F.A. in Drawing and Painting from Governors State University, IL, a BS in Art Education from Illinois State University, and an Associate of Arts Degree in Art Transfer Studies from Triton College, IL. She had the opportunity to study with Professors Emeritus Harold Gregor and Kenneth Holder during her stay at ISU.
She is the recipient of an Ox-Bow residency through the School of the Art Institute, and has been nominated from the AZ Governors Best in Arts Education. In 2012, she was voted the most outstanding adjunct faculty of the year. In 2018, she was awarded an artist residency at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA.
Meet Diane Sanborn | Professional Artist and Educator
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diane Sanborn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Diane, thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I am a formally trained artist. I enrolled in all the coursework that led to my completion of my MFA with a concentration in Drawing and Painting. No magic wand speeds up the learning for anyone in the creative arts. There is only another path to discover and so much more to learn. The skills that are most essential for an artist are perseverance and always understanding that there are many visual solutions to the problem that you are currently working on. Community is vital – surround yourself with positivity and like-minded, supportive people. My motto is to take my work very seriously, but never myself. Make obstacles disappear by understanding that art can be about the “seen” as well as the “unseen”. Trust your intuitive self.
Diane, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I listen. After all of these years of painting, I have learned to not only engage myself in a conversation with my work, but also to listen carefully to what the painting is telling me. Over the years, I have amassed a database of aesthetic information that never really sleeps. When I work, I hear those voices of previous instructors who were genuinely interested in guiding me as an eager student. Now, as an art professor, I share what I know with my students. Color and Composition are at the forefront of solutions to my visual problems. After all of the ups and downs in the art world, my focus now is to keep creating work that is both interesting and important. Although my formal concerns are abstract, I have recently begun to incorporate the figure. I never stay with any subject or style for very long; however, my work has been described as consistently staying true to my palette and instincts.
It explains why my work shifts styles from week to week, yet always retains my signature look.
I have a sense of urgency about my art journey. There are so many ideas swirling around, I never have a shortage of new directions.
We often hear about learning lessons, but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I relocated to the Phoenix area in 1990. I quickly realized that I had to create my own opportunities for sharing my work. As an abstract artist, I had to develop my own collectors market and then learn how to promote it. I am most proud of my annual “home show” concept, which has been most successful. I now live back in the Chicago area, and there are so many opportunities to explore.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I am both a professional artist and an arts educator. The two careers demand excellence and a best practices approach. I share my experiences with my students daily, and at the same time, I learn from them many new ways of marketing their work, especially now through social media. I am also the ART advisor for our new campus art club, ART Connections. The students have completed a large public installation painting on large panels.
Contact Info:
- Website: dianesanbornart.com
- Instagram: diane.sanborn
Image Credits
Cloudy Figures by Diane Di Bernardino Sanborn 24 x 43, oil on panel