Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Walker-Gladney.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a lovely small town in Connecticut rich with history, this history found its way into school books of others but for me it became an essential part of my own personal fabric. I lived close to town and walking was a daily part of my life. I would experience the changing of the seasons, splash in puddles, kick leaves and walk the paths of Revolutionary War soldiers. My love of color and its possibilities began in these small voyages. As a young girl, I would go to the Yardage Shop and match thread with swatches of fabric for my mother who was a seamstress. These silky fibers exposed me to color and their luxurious tints and shades. I would visit the wallpaper store to marvel in the countless patterns and often borrow “Good Night Moon” from the library because I was fascinated by how the illustrations seemed to capture dusk. Looking back now I understand how our experiences inform our future.
I graduated college with a Master’s degree in Art and married. Work took us across the country and we moved to the Dallas area. Wonderfully, I became the mom of two children. My family and new environment began to add chapters to the book of memories that began in my old tiny town. Silly language and goofy antics filled our household and became fodder for my work.
My abstract acrylic paintings are based on this personal collection of memories. Each painting explores an event be it momentous or inconsequential. All are a significant part of the whole, all are a part of my story. My titles give a hint as to the subject of the work in hopes that they may open a dialogue between myself and the viewer. No one’s story is the same but similarities are frequent and connections are made. I love being part of that conversation.
I continue to tell my story and show my work. I have had numerous solo exhibitions including the Longview Museum of Fine Arts and have been featured in New American Paintings and Dallas Modern Luxury Magazine.
My work can be found in public and private collections including the Longview Museum of Fine Art. I am represented by M.A. Doran Gallery in Tulsa and Costello Childs in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was also was named a Hunting Art Prize finalist three times.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are always struggles but as I age I see them as necessities. We cannot grow as artists without downfalls to make us stronger. These downfalls are the very thing that push us in new directions. If we were to stay in our comfort zones we would never grow.
My artistic struggles have been quite ordinary in retrospect. I have found the real struggles to be the ones outside of the artistic realm. The loss of my mother early in my adult life was significant and continually informs my work. As time progresses life continues to present difficult situations. I gather these struggles and create the work that needs to be made to tell my story,
Please tell us about Diane Walker-Gladney.
My large abstract acrylic paintings are playful in content and are probably most well known for their layering of glazes and interesting titles. I have a love of language and am known in my family to be the creator our own particular “Gladney” lingo. This lingo in turn appears often in my titles. It is my hope that I may begin a dialogue with these words and provide a visual for one to travel into. I want to tell a story and the ultimate is to get one back.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Knowing what I know now, I would have been braver. Fear of rejection can be paralyzing. I’ve come to learn that Art is such a subjective thing. Of course we all know this on one level but with age, I have worked on internalizing it. One person’s opinion can vary so differently than another. These opinions, if we are not careful, can creep into our creative experience and alter our work. I have actually had the experience of having a piece rejected from one show and turn around and win Best of Show in another. This is a blatant manifestation of a difference of opinion and a lesson I carry forward. As trite as it sounds, nothing ventured nothing gained. Our work is authentic to us. It is only for us to judge.
Pricing:
- Pieces range from several hundred dollars for small pieces to $4000.00 for 60×48″
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dianewalker-gladney.com
- Email: walkergladneyart@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/dwalkergladney
Image Credit:
Titles of work, photos taken by me:
Car Today, Gone Tomorrow, Back On Friday
Bird Buddies
New Tricks For An Old Dog
Pink Checked Raincoat With Matching Umbrella
Popcorn In The Hardware Store
Summer In A Cup
Canna Lilies Off the Discount Rack
Studio shot
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