Member Bios - Member Bios - Diana Palmer - Central Okanagan FCA - Kelowna Art Group | Art Shows & Original Artwork by Kelowna Artists

Diana Palmer

Diana Palmer was born in Armstrong, BC, and raised on a farm in the back country of the Okanagan Valley. Growing up in a remote area with no near neighbours, no telephone and no electricity for television left Diana with lots of time as a child to hone her drawing skills. Encouraged by her family, she drew pictures of the plants, wildlife and landscapes that surrounded her and eventually this childhood pastime grew into a passion for art.

After graduating from Vernon Senior Secondary in 1980 with an arts scholarship, Diana moved to Vancouver to pursue an education in the art field. She holds a Fine Arts Diploma from Langara College (2 years) as well as a Graphic Design and Commercial Illustration Diploma from Capilano College (3 years). She also studied Visual Arts and Arts in Context at Simon Fraser University for a year.

Diana worked for various galleries in Vancouver before becoming a freelance graphic designer and commercial illustrator. She returned to the Okanagan Valley in 1995 and presently resides in Kelowna, BC, where she continues to indulge her passion for art.

Watercolour, acrylic and soft pastels are Diana’s mediums of choice, depending on what she feels the chosen subject matter dictates. Like her interests, her subject matter varies greatly: landscapes, wildlife, still lifes, florals, street scenes and the occasional portrait. Diana is a member of the Kelowna Palette Club as well as the Central Okanagan Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA). She exhibits regularly with the Kelowna Palette Club in Kelowna and participates in various FCA juried shows. She, and her artwork, can also be found year round at the Framing & Art Centre in Kelowna where she is employed.

Artist's Statement
I have experimented with many different mediums such as conté, chalk, pastel, graphite, gouache, casein, dyes, markers, pen and ink, watercolour and acrylic but for many years I mainly worked in watercolour. I am always looking for new challenges and inspiration so from watercolour I graduated into acrylics and from acrylics into pastels. Recently I have been concentrating mostly on experimenting with pastels on suede mat boards and am really excited with the results. My subjects have always varied but at the moment I am focusing on still lifes and florals. I switch back to acrylic when I feel I need a break from pastels and occasionally will bring out the watercolours if only to keep my hand in it.

Regardless of the medium, I believe that in order to achieve a good finished painting, one must begin with a good solid drawing and that the success of one's painting relies as much on one's ability to draw as well as paint. Consequently, I spend a lot of time on my drawing before I begin with the colour.

Equally important to a successful painting, for me, is good reference material. I generally use my own photos for reference and often will compile three or four to achieve the composition I desire.

Email:

palmerart@shaw.ca

More Paintings By Diana

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