Diane DuBois Mullaly

IT ALL STARTED with the powerful connection I feel to the landscape on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I moved here in 2002 and suddenly had to paint.

Painting in oil is my first love. In that medium I have evolved into a palette knife painter. I am fascinated by all the ways I can build up the paint, scrape it down, and carve and sgraffito (scratch) into it; creating an image with broken facets of color that play off each other. My palette knife paintings are purposely loose and sometimes even a little rough. When viewed from about six feet, they come together and feel alive. When viewed up close, they are more abstract and have a beautiful surface quality. The facets of paint applied with my knife each catch light at a different angle and add a lively sparkle. My goal as I work is to infuse my paintings with energy; yet also speak quietly with poetic passages. And to celebrate in oil paint the life and light I discover every day on this beautiful peninsula.

A long time ago, I attended Tyler School of Art, of Temple University. After that, life took me in various directions. More recently, since 2004, I have studied (intensely) via classes and workshops with numerous renowned national and regional oil painters who taught me how to interpret what I am seeing, loosen up, and paint! Those who influenced me the most are Camille Przewodek, Tim Bell, Carolyn Anderson, Ken Auster, Louis Escobedo, Ken DeWaard, Carol Marine, Qiang Huang and Sheryl Southwick. My long term working relationship with Nancy Tankersley taught me all sorts of things. And I fondly remember much needed encouragement early on by Joe Mayer and Joyce Zeigler.