Oil on canvas size 760mm x 760mm x 50mm
"As long as I can remember I always drew something … as a child I was not able to paint the colouring book exactly in the outline , not enough patience. Always wanted to go beyond that and to draw something else. Quite by accident instead of art school I dedicated to music school 9 years of my life, I have never ceased to draw, but my parents were insisting to finish musical school . At 12 years old, I decided that I will be a fashion designer and at 16 knew exactly to link my life with the interior design. At university, I studied academic drawing and painting, with the 5.5 years of study I was convinced once again that classical drawing is not for me. For the painting I received the highest marks.
Having built a successful career as an interior designer and worked for 12 years in design, I moved to New Zealand, where I started my new creative stage.
I am always looking for a challenge. I started painting accidentally. It was not unlike when someone decides to try a new hobby. I was thinking to paint a birthday present for my best friend and maybe some flowers for the living room. Since I came to New Zealand I was in love with the nature of this beautiful country. Especially with flowers of all kinds and shapes which became my main inspiration. I hadn’t painted since university, but this time couldn’t stop. I had this desire to create and explore something hands on. I felt like I had to get it out of my system. I was nearly obsessively painting and painting, trying to teach myself something new and craving the creativity that comes with that." - Diana Peel