Last Thursday I attended the opening for Diana Lyn Cote at Elizabeth Park. Diana uses an oil paint medium very much like oversized crayons called Paintstiks®, and has perfected an unique application recently dubbed the "Côté Squiggle." She has explored a childlike energy in which she "scribbles" layer upon layer of erratic lines of color directly on the canvas. This eventually leads to a visual weaving of these individual lines into a textural tapestry that is both subtle and richly elegant. This is especially evident on larger canvases where the application holds equal importance to the study of light.
Understanding the colors that make up the subtle or dramatic effects of light, and applying them in her unique way, is the focus of her journey as an artist. Each minute of the day may change the quality of light on a subject or scene. Capturing these moments is what brings her compositions to life, making them believable or even fantastically real. When looking at every work of art Diana creates, you may think that you can step right into the image, or perhaps, you already have.
Diana has been showing her work for nearly two decades with a diverse following of both corporate and private collectors. She offers both original works of art and giclée prints. You can visit her website at www.dianalyncote.com
The exhibiton presents contemporary spiritual folk art created by self-taught Finnish and European artists. The diverse collection consists of around 200 works by nearly 50 artists. Besides the sculptures, paintings and collages by Finnish ITE artists, there are European sacred images from Maija and Volker Dallmeier's collection, folk icons from the collections of the Orthodox Church Museum of Finland, the Valamo Foundation and private collections, as well as photographs documenting popular beliefs. The ITE in spirit exhibition is produced in collaboration between Kunsthalle Helsinki and the Union for Rural Culture and Education. The upcoming exhibition literally opens your eyes to the afterworld.
