Diana Stetson has a deep desire “to remind people of all ages about the unspeakable beauty and power of the natural world.” She believes that artists inhabit a unique position and grasps the universal truth that they are “visual storytellers who create bridges of understanding and facilitate change in a positive, enlightened directions.”
As she grapples with the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the current state of the environment she has come to the conclusion that despair is not an option. She states, “If we take the time to remember and tap into the important moments of insight, inspiration, or peace, we are closer to being a part of the solution, one person at a time.”
Stetson is a highly acclaimed printmaker and painter who has received over 40 grants and awards, including a grant from the US Embassy and one from the French Ministry of Culture. Her work resides in numerous collections world-wide, and her museum exhibitions have included: Le Musee en Herbes in Paris; Museum of Fine Art in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; New Mexico Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Albuquerque Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Portland Art Museum in Portland Oregon.
Through the years, Stetson has found ways to interface her art with environmental concerns. The woodblocks shown above were for a fundraiser for Tree New Mexico which is one of the most successful urban and rural tree planting efforts in the US. Since its inception 1,250,000 trees have been planted in New Mexico and on Navajoland in Arizona.
Two of Stetson’s inspirations have been the social entrepreneur, Paul Hawken, and the Planet Walker, John Francis, whose Ted Talk can be found here. She says Francis’ message to her was: “After 17 years of walking in silence and listening to people… people are part of the environment. We have to consider how we treat each other. It has to be about civil rights — human rights — and it has to be about peace. If we repress or exploit each other, it is going to manifest in the environment.”
As a result of her conversation with Francis, Stetson shifted her focus to international cultural exchange. She was invited by the U.S. State Department in 2012 and 2014 to represent American artists as a cultural liaison at U.S. Culture Days in Turkmenistan. She showed her art and work with the people there. In 2015 her work was the focus of a major article in the Parisian culture magazine BSC news.
While creating her artwork, Stetson allows herself to follow a painting, rather than lead. She starts with an abstract acrylic background using all sorts of implements—even kitchen tools. She then moves onto painting detailed images in oil, of trees, flowers, animals, rainbows, etc. She spends 4-6 hours every day creating her artwork.
Currently residing outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, Stetson had a magical childhood exploring the woods and fields of the Hudson River Valley and the Adirondack Mountains. Because of the many hours spent in the outdoors, she says she “learned how the gorgeous natural world nurtures us, inspires us, and never stops giving.”
Stetson hopes to work into her 80’s in the tradition of two New Mexican women role models, Georgia O’Keeffe and Agnes Martin. She says she is striving to make an impact on the world on multiple levels “by working internationally as an art ambassador, by collaborating as a painter with people in the environmental and conservations fields, and by creating at least one masterwork that will stand the test of time and speak significantly to people after I am gone.”
Visit Diana Stetson’s website www.dianastetson.com
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