Diana Tremaine: Universal Themes
Diana Tremaine’s dynamic oil paintings are autobiographical, yet simultaneously universal, reflecting a search for meaning in the human experience. They often focus on nature or figures, including family and children at play, with a style that bridges traditional figuration with contemporary painting.
How did your creative journey begin?
My creative journey truly began as a young girl growing up in NYC. I had a great Aunt and Uncle who had a very serious well respected art collection. I used to ask my Aunt why she liked and bought the work that she did - often minimalist and abstract in nature. As I listened to her speak about her deep love and appreciation of the work, I could feel her spirit transport to another realm. Even at 9 years old, I could feel where she went and could understand and relate to all that she expressed. At that moment I knew that art spoke to me in the same profound way it did to my Aunt, and I understood that I wanted to be a part of that world too. Later, while attending UCBerkeley, it became clear to me that the only building in which I felt truly turned on was the art department. Looking at the student work in the display cases always gave me a bit of an adrenaline rush. Once I decided to declare my major in fine arts, I transferred to UCLA whose art department was stronger. I’ve never looked back. Ive been pursuing my own work, while also teaching drawing and painting, ever since.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My inspiration comes from my own life. I left Los Angeles in 2000 in favor of fewer people and more open space. I now live in Bozeman Montana. Initially, I was inspired by the wildlife that blew my mind and was now all around me. I have always, however, preferred to bring the contemporary aesthetic I acquired in NYC to my work regardless of subject matter. After having a daughter in 2005, she, and then her friends, became the inspiration for a lot of my work. Never motivated by sentiment, however, I strive to communicate broader, more universal themes while using my daughter and her friends as models. Recently I completed a series of paintings depicting the omnipresence of phones in young peoples’ lives. These paintings strive to capture a bit of the zeitgeist of our time with this particular age group and this particular demographic. I have now begun a body of work that is no longer motivated by what I see on a daily basis, but rather is motivated by what I would like to see. I am currently working with multi-racial models creating images about inclusion and unity - a hopeful offering during troubled times.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
The more I paint the more responsibility I take for every square inch of the final image I put forth. Composition, strength of design, and the relevance or success of each mark and/or color choice are the ultimate priority. As an artist who is truly turned on by the multifarious possibilities of paint and how it can be used, I used to be blinded by every mark that gave me an initial adrenaline rush. I now resist the urge to fall in love with and cling to any stroke or earlier decision. What turned me on on a Monday may no longer serve the greatest success of the image by Friday. I must be willing to let that mark/decision go. I am far more interested in the over-all success of the image than the specificity of the “subject” than I used to be. For me, composition plays a huge roll in telling the story. While mark making and process are extremely important to me, I have learned how to let go of what no longer serves the success of the painting as a whole.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I have always been extremely disciplined in my art practice. I am in my studio Monday through Friday, usually 8 am until 4 or so. If I cannot work one day during the week, I often make that day up on the weekend. Coffee and music - that’s a huge part of it!! Sometimes I feel the need to be “revved” up or more deeply immersed into the mood of what I am painting - all of those needs can be met by my playlist which will echo throughout the studio! Other times I feel the need to take all emotions out of the equation. Those times may call for a thought provoking podcast. I also enjoy listening to interviews with other artists as I work. Occasionally, silence is in order. I never wait to be in the mood or “inspired” to paint. Growth comes from consistent work in my opinion, even through the toughest of times. Perhaps the greatest change for me over the years has been to stay out of my head as much as possible and trust what my gut is telling me - if I don’t like some aspect of my painting, regardless of what others may think, then it has to go. Equally, if something feels right to me I don’t over analyze that. I strive more and more to let my own opinion be the ultimate driving force.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
In 1999 I decided to leave Los Angeles as the lifestyle there no longer felt like a fit for me and no longer felt like it was actually allowing me to find my best work. That decision was a big one for me as I felt as an artist I really should be living in NYC or Los Angeles, but certainly not Montana. I battled with that belief system for some time before I realized being true to who I am was much more important to producing meaningful authentic work than where I lived. So I up and left with one suitcase and my dog Roo. I think the courage it took to follow my heart really allowed me to do the same with my work. Rather than looking towards the current trends in the LA art world, I gave myself permission to simply paint what I felt passionate about, which at that time was the wildlife around me. Shortly after my move to Montana, doors started to effortlessly open for me. Local contemporary galleries asked to show my work. I realized there is more than one way to build an art career. In 2003 I met my husband and in 2005 had our daughter. That experience also greatly impacted my work. I was initially afraid that being a mother would radically limit my art practice. It turned out the opposite was true. With less time available, I no longer had the luxury of waiting for inspiration or over thinking anything. The name of the game was now simply get in there and do it. That discipline, along with the inability to over think, greatly strengthened both my practice and my work. And finally, as I am sure was the case with many artists, the onset of Covid greatly impacted my work. Several of my galleries closed and I did not know what the future held for me. It was no longer relevant to consider what may or may not sell. As was the case for many other artists, it was an opening to paint what and how I wanted as opposed to what I thought my galleries would want.
How has social media impacted your work?
For me, living in Montana, social media has been a blessing. I love being able to see art from all over the world and love being able to watch in nearly real time what the artists I most admire are doing. I love the support, interaction and feed back from my instagram community. Needless to say, there are aspects of social media that can be challenging, i.e. letting the number of “likes” influence how you feel about your own work. Ultimately however that forces one to reckon with any weak spots they possess in relationship to their work. “Likes” need to become meaningless. Connections, community and inspiration are the gift.
How do you know when a piece is “done”?
For me a painting is done when there is enough information to communicate the “story” effectively, but not so much information that the doors have closed and there is no longer an invitation for the viewer’s own entry and interpretation. If this has been achieved, and there are no longer any spots that feel problematic to me, it is usually one brushstroke or one small pop of color that takes me by surprise and screams “brushes down, you are done!”.
Website: www.dianatremaine.com
Instagram: @dianatremaine