We had the good fortune of connecting with Diane Awdeh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diane, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have been painting and drawing ever since I was in kindergarten. Art has accompanied every phase in my life, in all the changes I’ve been through and everything that I experienced. Throughout my career and the last couple of years, I have constantly had doubts about keeping Art as a passion and something that I enjoy doing in my free time, as opposed to turning into a business and promoting myself as an artist. I would say that during the pandemic, just like many people, I felt like I needed to do more of what makes me happy. Especially after being in Beirut during the Port explosion in August 2020, which destroyed the City and was a traumatic experience for everyone i including myself, I felt like I got a second chance to live and wanted to fulfill my passion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For my first year in College, I had decided to study Architecture. It turned out not to be the best fit for me and I ended up moving away as far as possible from Art because I felt that I had failed. I studied History and International Relations and ended up working in Academia and Higher Education for the past 9 years. I love it because it fuels and feeds my creativity. As an curious explorer who always loves to learn new things, I have found Academia to be a very enriching environment. Yet, I’ve gone through phases where all I wanted to do was art, where I also wanted to go back to studying Art. I felt that in order to call myself an artist, I would have to study it. But then as I grew older and wiser, I felt more open and confident to not only call myself an artist, but to share my work, my life, and vulnerabilities with others through my Art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have only been In Tucson, Arizona since June 2021, but I have been trying to take advantage of the amazing weather and great things to see around town. Anyone who knows me knows that I always have a list of restaurants to try, places to visit, and experiences to try. Some of my favorite restaurants are the Barnyard and locale. I also love St. Philips Plaza and MSA annex. I try to go to Scottsdale Phoenix whenever I can too. It satisfies my love for chic and hip environments. Sonoita is another one of my favorites.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Part of being an artist is picking up things here and there that inspire us. I love going to museums and traveling because I feel that every little thing inspires me. I am easily inspired by anything and my creativity is sparked by looking at other people’s art, artists, nature, anything.

However, I feel that my biggest support has been my younger sister. She has always pushed me to pursue my dreams. She believes in me so much that it gives me power, hope, and the push to do anything.

Another person who inspired me so much and who is my favorite artist, is Frida Kahlo. The struggles that she faced and how much people loved her, touched me so much. The fact that she paints her journey and her life was something that I found to be very similar to what I have done in my journey.

Instagram: @dianeapaintings

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.