BIOGRAPHY
Diana enjoys the challenges and rewards of depicting fine detail through her miniature and small art. Diana’s paintings of horses, wildlife, birds, flowers, butterflies and all manner of flora and fauna attest to her love of nature and the inspiration she derives from the natural world. Although nature is the greatest influence for her art, any subject matter can challenge Diana and become an inspiration for a painting or artistic expression. As an integral part of the creative process, Diana and her husband travel extensively, gathering new resource material via sketch pad and camera. She paints and draws in various media – acrylics, watercolor, gouache (opaque watercolor), colored pencil, pen and ink and occasionally will incorporate lettering and metal leafing into her work, known as illumination. Although Diana occasionally paints on a larger scale, she enjoys the intimacy and focus on her subjects that can only be attained by painting or drawing in minute detail.
Diana extends her detailed art to work on gourds, particularly on gourd pieces which she developed into her unique natural gourd creations, little jewels of wearable fine art and decorative adornment (e.g., hanging ornaments for the home). When not traveling, Diana and her husband live on a small farm in the Sierra Nevada foothills where they grow edible crops -- vegetables, fruit, herbs -- and some years grow decorative gourds. Diana has crafted practical birdhouses and seasonal ornaments from the gourds but she found herself looking for ways to paint pictures onto them. Experimenting with small gourd pieces has led her to utilize the smooth surfaces, perfect for fine detail work, whereby she developed techniques for the creation of her unique fine art jewelry and decorative adornments she creates mostly on a commission basis.
Diana has also created art to specifically benefit charity organizations including a limited edition print entitled “Free Spirits, Wild Mustangs” which has been featured on singer/songwriter Lacy J. Dalton’s "Let ‘Em Run Foundation” website for which the proceeds from sales of the prints go toward the protection and preservation of wild horses.
While working as an editorial assistant in the medical and scientific communities early in her career, Diana was exposed to medical and natural science illustration. She joined the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, based at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., of which she was a member for over ten years, and she also studied botanical illustration at the University of California, Berkeley -- Diana attributes this influence and training in attention to detail for her expertise and passion in drawing and painting miniatures today.
Diana is currently a member of the following organizations:
April: Featured Artist, ART Gallery, Oroville, CA
May: El Dorado Fine Arts Gallery Annual Juried Miniatures Art Show,
Colorado Springs, CO
July: Heartland Art Guild, Paola, KS
August: New Mexico Miniature Art Society’s Annual Art Show,
Roswell Museum and Art Center, NM
October: Oroville 8th Annual Perry Mason Days “Mystery” Juried Art
Show, Artists of River Town, Oroville, CA
October: 2nd Annual little Washington Miniatures Painting Exhibition,
Washington, VA
November: Gateway to the Rockies Art Exhibit and Miniature Show,
Aurora History Museum, Aurora, Colorado
Diana extends her detailed art to work on gourds, particularly on gourd pieces which she developed into her unique natural gourd creations, little jewels of wearable fine art and decorative adornment (e.g., hanging ornaments for the home). When not traveling, Diana and her husband live on a small farm in the Sierra Nevada foothills where they grow edible crops -- vegetables, fruit, herbs -- and some years grow decorative gourds. Diana has crafted practical birdhouses and seasonal ornaments from the gourds but she found herself looking for ways to paint pictures onto them. Experimenting with small gourd pieces has led her to utilize the smooth surfaces, perfect for fine detail work, whereby she developed techniques for the creation of her unique fine art jewelry and decorative adornments she creates mostly on a commission basis.
Diana has also created art to specifically benefit charity organizations including a limited edition print entitled “Free Spirits, Wild Mustangs” which has been featured on singer/songwriter Lacy J. Dalton’s "Let ‘Em Run Foundation” website for which the proceeds from sales of the prints go toward the protection and preservation of wild horses.
While working as an editorial assistant in the medical and scientific communities early in her career, Diana was exposed to medical and natural science illustration. She joined the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, based at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., of which she was a member for over ten years, and she also studied botanical illustration at the University of California, Berkeley -- Diana attributes this influence and training in attention to detail for her expertise and passion in drawing and painting miniatures today.
Diana is currently a member of the following organizations:
- Association of Miniature Artists
- Miniature Art Society of Florida
- Chico Arts Center, Chico, CA
- Defenders of Wildlife
- International Society for the Preservation of Mustangs and Burros
- National Audubon Society
- National Wildlife Federation
- National Geographic Society
- Smithsonian Institute
- World Wildlife Fund
- Wildlife Defense Fund
2013 --
- January 20- February 10: 38th Annual International Miniature Art Show, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs, Florida, Miniature Art Society of Florida
- January 12th-February 8th: Members Show, Chico Arts Center, Chico, CA
- 2012 --
- January: 37th Annual International Miniature Art Show, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida, Miniature Art Society of Florida.
- January: Annual Members Show, Artists of River Town, ART Gallery, Oroville,CA
- February 27-March 24: Members Show, Chico Arts Center, Chico, CA
- March 1-March 31: The Spanish Moss Miniature Art Show, 4th Annual Show, Alabama Miniature Art Society at Cathedral Square Gallery, Mobile, Alabama
- April 28-June 2: 21st International Miniature Art Show, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
- April 28-May 26: ART Gallery, Oroville, CA
- May 8-June 3: 20th Annual International Juried Miniature Show, Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA
- July 14-August 25: Artistic Designs Gallery 6th Annual Miniature Fine Art Show, Brownsburg, IN
- August 17-August 26: Twenty-ninth Annual Juried Art Show for Standard and Miniature Art, the Roswell Fine Arts League/New Mexico Miniature Arts Society, Roswell, NM
- October: The Art Gallery of Fells Point, 29th Annual North American Miniature Art Exhibition, Baltimore, MD
- November 19-December 29: The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. 79th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature
- 2011 --
January: 36th Annual International Miniature Art Show, Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida, Miniature Art Society of Florida
January: Annual Members Show, Artists of River Town, ART Gallery, Oroville, CA
March: The Elizabeth Specht Memorial Miniature Show, sponsored by The Sierra Artists' Gallery and Northern California Society of Miniature Art, Mariposa, CA
April 30-June 4: 20th International Miniature Art Show, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC
May 3-June 7: 19th Annual International Juried Miniature Show, Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA
June 4: Oroville Area Art Tour, display location at the Grey Fox Winery & Vineyard, Oroville, CA
- August 28: Featured Artist, Ishi Centennial Celebration 1911-2011, Butte County Historical Society, Oroville.
September 24: Salmon Festival, Artists of River Town, Oroville, CA.
October 22-November 17: Artistic Designs Gallery, 5th Annual Miniature Fine Art Show, Brownsburg, IN.
2010 --
April: Featured Artist, ART Gallery, Oroville, CA
May: El Dorado Fine Arts Gallery Annual Juried Miniatures Art Show,
Colorado Springs, CO
July: Heartland Art Guild, Paola, KS
August: New Mexico Miniature Art Society’s Annual Art Show,
Roswell Museum and Art Center, NM
October: Oroville 8th Annual Perry Mason Days “Mystery” Juried Art
Show, Artists of River Town, Oroville, CA
October: 2nd Annual little Washington Miniatures Painting Exhibition,
Washington, VA
November: Gateway to the Rockies Art Exhibit and Miniature Show,
Aurora History Museum, Aurora, Colorado
The artwork by Diana that is identified as miniature has been painted according to the Association of Miniature Artists guidelines:
- Minute in scale vs. life sized. (For practicality following the general 1/6th scale for work sent to formal miniature exhibitions and shows.)
- Delicate and painstaking technique that withstands magnification.
- Small in format and size: 25 inches or less for surface area.
- High in quality. The work should exemplify Fine Art ~ demonstrating a mastery of composition, color, values etc.
Please e-mail Diana using the form below or make a note of Diana@dianawylesart.com for whenever it's convenient to just ask questions, want to make a purchase or have artwork commissioned... Thank you for coming by and visiting and come back often as this site is always being updated ... keep an eye on changes and new artwork. Links to related web sites will also be added.