Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Reis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in the family floral business and began designing as a young teenager and served as President of the Future Florists of Texas under the Texas State Florist Association. My parents owned Gunter’s Greenhouse in Richardson, Texas and my father was known as “the Orchid Man.” My design and business experience was full hands-on as I worked my teen years in the flower shop and nursery and continued to do so during my college summers. This formed the entrepreneurial spirit within me. The lessons of hard work combined with a desire to create something beautiful led me to seek a degree in Education from Texas A&M University. I went into teaching with an interesting combination of science and history while still growing my abilities as a floral designer when I was not in the classroom. When my husband and I began to start our family, I put the classroom to the side and found myself back in design, starting my own dried and silk floral business called Jessica’s Place. This eventually led to seeking my Event Planning certification and rebranding as Two Dandelions, a floral and event planning studio in Tyler, Texas in 2011. With 100’s of weddings and events now under my belt, I am beginning a new transition into the East Texas art world. Over the years, I have also taught floral design classes, given programs on orchid growing and created landscape designs.
My new transition into the visual art world has opened the doors to creating interpretive designs based on what I see in another artist’s work. This has been very exciting to me. These days you will find me serving as the president of the Palette of Roses Art League, working with over 100 visual artists, serving on the Tyler Tourism Committee, and serving as a member of the Tyler Art and Culture Collective Committee. I recently teamed up with Aaron Hinds, a local artist, who has opened a new gallery space in Downtown Tyler to help him develop the event planning side of his art gallery business and to build a professional East Texas Artist collective.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road of experience and learning is never smooth. There are always bumps and challenges along the way. Change is an expectation. I have had to learn how to promote my business, build a reputation of quality work and trust, and believe in my abilities even when I wasn’t sure of the path. There are always those design challenges in events that stretch your abilities. Pulling off a successful event has its stress points. I tend to do my best work under pressure but then crash for a day or two when it is over. I give my clients my very best efforts. My biggest challenge has probably been balancing my work and family life. Having my own business also has been a great blessing because I get to decide on the projects, events or classes that will fit within my schedule but at the same time, it’s hard for me to say no to an event or client that is seeking my help. I am having to learn how to say no in order to bring balance to my life.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In the past, I would have described myself as a floral designer and event planner seeking to create unique and special events designed to meet a client’s needs. I specialize in high-quality floral design with a European flair. integrating nature with the art of floral design. These days, I am moving more into interpretive floral art, and I would now describe myself as a floral artist who works with living materials. Nature inspires my work. I am most proud of my ability to create something beautiful for a space that brings meaning and comfort as I seek to connect with the people around me. I believe that is what sets me apart from others. My goal is to enhance an atmosphere of community in my design and in my interactions with others. A big part of my interpretive design is learning to listen…to the people, the feeling of a space, the surroundings and interactions in a given timeframe and how to take all those pieces and apply them to a design that is in many ways, temporary, yet memorable and full of emotion.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid taught some business lessons as well. I learned that flexibility and compassion is key. We live in a society that can sometimes be unpredictable. It is important to have compassion as an aspect of business in order to create a lasting relationship with a client that will go beyond the project at hand. The ability to be flexible and handle unexpected situations with grace and confidence builds trust that enhances the client’s experience and leads to future referrals.
(I had to be flexible in moving several events, including our daughter’s wedding which had been set for March 2020. We had to move the date twice, so I have the understanding of being on the client end during a crisis.)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.twodandelions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2dandelions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100058245258967
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-reis-95934520/
- Other: www.paletteofrosesartleague.com
Image Credits
Noreen Nartia
Galen Herrington
