Artist Statement
My inspiration embodies a heightened urgency: to capture the exquisite beauty that surrounds us, and to create pieces which spark advocacy in child welfare and ocean conservation, particularly sea turtle conservancy. By coaxing layer upon layer of paint and textures to depict the synergy of patterns and colors, I am able to record the interplay inherent in nature and capture the emotion in human interactions before they vanish.
Patterns have fascinated me since I was a child. They bring a sense of order and harmony in this crazy world, so it is no wonder I'm drawn to paint them. The straight lines and recurring arrangement of rows of pastries in a bakery case, or multiple floors of windows in a luxury hotel, delight me. The patterns specific to each type of sea turtle, and the paths of each individual mother inspired me to share them in as series of abstracts.
The concept of time plays an important part in my process and my painting. For example, in my Turtle Tracks Art series, the mama turtle’s age and date her eggs hatch, the cycle of growth and our own mortality, and the millions of years before and after that moment, all provide inspiration. I record the time and date of each track with every photo. This allows me to return to my studio and sketch a pattern that will never again be repeated. After drawing the sea turtle’s path in black paint, I add moulding compound to create a textural tableau before adding eight or more amped-up acrylic paint colors.
This is when each painting evolves organically, freely, more of a response to my inner feelings than conscious thought. I sweep vibrant colors across the compound and canvas. I allow the layers to dry and settle into myriad crevices. I apply a #2 round paintbrush to outline each color and texture mark in thinned down black or Paynes Gray acrylic paint. I watch my painting really come to life at this point in my process. Outlined areas give rise to new forms that were not part of the original drawing.
While I take the subject of my artwork very seriously, I paint these tracks in an abstract manner using “uplifting” colors, giving them vitality and positivity. There is symbolic, as well as actual, beauty in the topographical nature of these tracks. A combination of art and design that brings to mind a sense of familiarity.
Currently, I purchase PixelStix, which is an implementation of the hardware agnostic IOT platform ObjectVoice, that are attached in an archival manner to the back of my paintings, behind my signature. Any person viewing my painting can download the free app, PixelStix, to their phone, point it at my signature, and a video of me talking about the particular sea turtle track depicted in that painting will appear on their phone. This allows people to connect with me as an artist, and see my motivation and passionate belief that we can work together as a global community to conserve our oceans, as well as all living things that depend on it. I believe my artwork has great potential in a time of 24-hour images and 30-second reactions, to be an authentic, lasting exploration of hope for the future.
My journey was covered in Creative Loafing Tampa, the Dunedin Fine Art Center ARTIFACTS magazine, and on Chat City Podcast. I was also interviewed about a painting I created for a t-shirt on WKRC “Good Morning Cincinnati.” APÉRO, the international fine art catalogue, has published my artwork. I have exhibited in juried national and international shows, and my artwork is in private collections both locally and abroad.
ABOUT THE FIONA PAINTING
My granddaughter was a 3 lb. preemie, so I have a soft spot for premature babies. I had followed the Cincinnati Zoo's premature hippo Fiona's story since her birth, and was inspired to paint Fiona celebrating her milestone birthday. The bright, happy colors and celebratory birthday hat convey the optimism felt for Fiona's future. Click on the link below to see my appearance on Local 12 WKRC "Good Morning Cincinnati".
CV
MEMBER OF THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF VISUAL ARTISTS
2020
8th Annual Celebration of the Arts, Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation, Tampa, FL
Clearwater Free Clinic's Martinis+Matisse Featured Live Painter Frank Crum, Clearwater, FL
Monochromatic Minis, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Feast For The Eyes, Studio 1212, Clearwater, FL
Abstracts Matter, 311 Gallery, Raleigh, NC
#SMF, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Bunches, Morena Art Center, St. Petersburg, FL
Flower Power, Mize Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
Vibrant, APÉRO International Art Catalogue May 2020 Issue
Wish You Were Here, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
The Coolest Art Show, Professional Association of Visual Artists, The Coliseum, St. Petersburg, FL
Art IS Essential, Stirling Art Studios and Gallery, Dunedin, FL
small works-BIG TALENT, Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Fifty Over 50, Milk Shake Studios On-line Exhibit, St. Petersburg, FL
Sounds Good, Mize Gallery, St. Petersburg , FL
Diane V. Radel at the Hermitage Gallery, Hermitage Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL, Solo Exhibit
COVID 19 The Art of Isolation/Survey II, Curator's Voice, Miami, FL
Dress Me, M.A.D.S. Milano, Milan, Italy
2019
Six Chix- Stirling Art Studios and Gallery, Dunedin, FL
Diane V. Radel Solo Show Professional Association of Visual Artists, Aging Well Center at The Long Center, Clearwater, FL
My Favorite Art Place Featured Artist, Sundial, St. Petersburg, FL
#SMF, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Galleria Misto's Summer, Duke Energy Center For The Arts/Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, FL
Interiors, Tampa Regional Artists, Tampa, FL -Second Place
Dog Days of Summer, Art Uptown Gallery, Sarasota, FL
Paint by Numbers, Morean Art Center, St. Petersburg, FL
Cats Vs. Dogs, Morean Art Center, St. Petersburg, FL
September/October Featured Artist for Galleria Misto, Duke Energy Center For The Arts/Mahaffey Theatre
Really Big Show, Stirling Art Studios and Gallery, Dunedin, FL
Hue and Me, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL -Honorable Mention
Art Ties Us, The Birchwood, St. Petersburg, FL - 2nd Place
8th Annual Celebration of the Arts, Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
La Salon II, M. Chapel Projects/SPAACES, Sarasota, FL -Permanent Collection
Shine, Shine, Shine, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Professional Association of Visual Artists Annual Members Holiday Exhibit, Pinewoods Gallery at Creative Pinellas, Largo, FL -Honorable Mention
2018
Big Eyes, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Beatles Era Art FEstival, Penny Lane Beatles Museum, Dunedin, FL
Art to the Rescue, Stirling Art Studios and Gallery, Dunedin, FL
#SMF, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Art Ties Us, The Birchwood, St. Petersburg, FL -Top Ten Artist (8th)
Souvenir, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Fin, Fur and Feathers, Tampa Regional Artists, Tampa, FL
Professional Association of Visual Artists Exhibit, Octagon Gallery, Clearwater, FL
Me and My Shadowbox, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL
Words That Inspire, Stirling Art Studios and Gallery, Dunedin, FL -Honorable Mention
Diane V. Radel Solo Exhibit for Fringe Art Show, Industrious, Tampa, FL
You Are What You Eat, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, FL -2nd Place
Landscapes, Seascapes, Skyscapes, Tampa Regional Artist, Tampa, FL-Honorable Mention
Professional Association of Visual Artists Exhibit, Osceola Gallery, Clearwater, FL
La Salon Tout Inclus, M. Chapel Projects/SPAACES, Sarasota, FL
Five Artists for Fringe Art Show, Five Labs, Tampa, FL
Florida in Art, Westshore Plaza Pop Up, Tampa, FL
Professional Association of Visual Artists Annual Holiday Exhibit, Pinewoods Gallery at Creative Pinellas, Largo, FL -4th Place Popular Vote
Professional Association of Visual Artists Exhibit, Stirling Art Studios and Gallery, Dunedin, FL
