Hello
Thank you so much for stopping by my website and taking a moment out of your day to look at my art. I am so grateful to each person who has supported me in my pursuit of creativity and beauty. As a full-time artist I hope to create artwork, spaces, and designs that ignite hope and inspiration in all who come into contact with my work.
Artist Statement
True beauty can always be found in the stillness of the "in-between" moments. From the way the wind dances with the petals of a flower, to the splashes raindrops create as they fall to the ground; there are symphonies of beauty available to us if we are open to them. It is my sincere intention to capture a glimpse of these moments for others to enjoy.
Watercolor, pencil, and gouache are the tools I feel most resonant with as they allow me to play with thin washes of light and rich color in equal measure. I love playing with texture in watercolor so I am often applying it in many many layers to create different effects.
I worked from real life, photos, and imagination, combined. I will use whatever tools are needed to achieve the intended result and I don't pay as much attention to doing things the right way or the ways things have been done before. I paint the way that I paint, and I love doing it.
Why Creativity is Important
Creating art is a manner in which we can process our lives not only through the mind but through the mind and heart in unison. As human beings we are inherently creative and this creativity can manifest itself beautifully and in limitless ways through the unique expressions of each individual. We create when we pick out our clothes in the morning, make breakfast, have a conversation with a loved one, take care of our children. It is not just through conventional artistic means that creativity occurs, rather it is an inescapable and essential aspect of what it is to be human.
When we start looking at our lives as a canvas on which we can express ourselves we begin to transcend the identity impressed upon us and instead we become who we truly are at our core essence.
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I found painting during a time in my life where I needed to make sense of things and despite how many restless nights I would spend going over things in my mind, it was only through painting that I could feel into my reality in a way that began to make sense. Painting became a gateway to a more creative life where I began to see everything I touched as an opportunity to interact, learn, and grow. Art helped me let go of the worry and dive deep into a world of beauty, love, kindness, and peace.
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Why the name Sophia Diana?
When I sign a painting or project with the name "Sophia Diana", I am saying "this is what I learned today and this is where my faith has brought me."
Many writers and artists choose pen names for innumerable reasons. I decided to choose a pen name for my work as well and wanted to share a little about why and why this name is so important to me personally.
Words and names are layered with endless meanings. Utilized in the correct form and structure, words and names can help support our projects, work, or perspectives through different experiences and tasks. We see this every day with brand names. We choose new products we resonate with based on how we feel about certain words or colors. Names have important meanings and our relationships to those names can change the way we feel or think about a given topic or subject. I felt it was important for me to select a name that I signed my artwork with that meant something special to me so that I could create based on subjects that are important to me and all my uniqueness.
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Sophia
"Sophia" is defined as the love of wisdom and is at the core of philo-sophia (philosophy). Philosophy, ethics, and the examination of virtues has remained the primary focus for my studies for much of my life.
What is it that makes people good? What is it that makes people happy? What is faith? How do I live an authentic life? How do I impact others positively?
These questions have driven many of my decisions (and many many mistakes) throughout my life. Sophia is a seeker of all live's most meaningful questions, the wisdom of existence. Wisdom is synonymous to me with the perfect balance in understanding through the heart, mind, and soul and anchored in truth. It is through observation and the synthesis of these observations into art that wisdom can be experienced firsthand. When we create or look at a piece of art that speaks to us, we feel something resonate in our whole bodies that is inherently true. Wisdom is when you listen to a song and get chills. You are experience something true with every part of your body mind and soul. Wisdom is not something that can be obtained or held onto or owned or marketed. It is only something we can observe and then experience if we are blessed enough to encounter it. Thus, Sophia is not something that I have or could ever possibly be or achieve, but it is the very thing that drives me above all and is the North Star that I follow. Sophia is what I wakeup every day and aspire to be.
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Diana
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The second part of the pen name is Diana - the beautiful name my parents gave me. The etymology of Diana goes back for thousands of years and means many different things. It always felt like a very "big" name to me - one that I was never fully sure I could carry. The definition that resonates with me the most is "divine" which to me goes beautifully with wisdom, or Sophia. These are big words with big meanings and I am a very small person but when I create I am one with all that came before me and all who just wanted to discover what it means to be human, to love, and to grow. Together, these two names remind me to have faith in myself, to believe in my vision, and to know that there is divine plan for all of us.
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Put them both together and...
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When I sign a painting or project with the name "Sophia Diana", I am saying "this is what I learned today and this is where my faith has brought me."
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Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting connections and opportunities. Let's connect.
781 309 7697