Meet Diane Sanborn | Artist & Art Professor

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

Hi Diane, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I listen. After all of these years of painting, I have learned to not only engage myself in a conversation with my work, but to also visually listen carefully to what the painting is telling me. Over the years I have acquired a data bank of aesthetic information that never really sleeps. When I work, I hear those voices of previous instructors that were genuinely interested in guiding me as an eager student. Now as an art professor, I share what I know with my students. Color and Composition are at the forefront of solutions to my visual problems. After all of the ups and downs in the art world, my focus now is to keep creating work that is both interesting and important. Although my formal concerns are abstract, recently I’m moving back to incorporating the figure. I never stay with any subject or style very long, however my work has been described as always staying true to my palette and to my instincts. It perhaps explains why my work shifts styles from week to week, but always looks like mine. I have a sense of urgency about my art journey. There are so many ideas swirling around, I never have a shortage of new directions. I look forward when I can send invitations once again to my signature home show that showcases all of my recent work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a professional artist and art professor. My business is a one-person entrepreneurial operation. I imagine and ideate the work, create it, and then market and sell it to collectors. I don’t wait for the perfect moment of inspiration. My most successful venue is organizing my own three-day home art exhibit. Besides creating forty – fifty finished pieces, this annual show includes, a substantial mailing list, printed and mailed invitations, indexing and creating a catalog of recent work. Every detail is important, even the refreshments served.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take my guests to the MIM (Musical Instrument Museum). The Musical Instrument Museum is located in Phoenix, Arizona. Opened in April 2010, it is the largest museum of its type in the world. The collection of over 15,000 musical instruments and associated objects includes examples from nearly 200 countries and territories, representing every inhabited continent. Music and the visual arts have always been an important cultural connection. MuseArte is another collaboration I am involved in. Five of my recent paintings have become the inspiration for original, contemporary compositions. You can both see and listen to them on Vimeo. vimeo.com/ondemand/museartemedia MuseArte is a new medium where musicians and artists collaborate to create fine art videos that integrate both original artwork with original musical composition. The purpose is to unify the intention of the visual art with sound and then express and communicate that intention via digital media. As Founder, Susan Fredericks states, “My goal is to find resonance in visual and musical art. What if abstract music and art can resonate so perfectly that true intent is revealed?” My collaborative work with MuseArte will also be featured this Fall in an upcoming exhibit at Water Street Gallery in Batavia, IL. https://waterstreetstudios.org/about All work can also be experienced on www.dianesanbornart.com.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The two most important mentors and art professors I had the opportunity to study with were Dr. Harold Gregor and Dr. Kenneth Holder when I was an undergraduate student at Illinois State University. They taught me the importance of diligence, intention, and persistence. They also showed me that you can take your work seriously, but never yourself.

Website: www.dianesanbornart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diane.sanborn/
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