Diane Piccola was born in Detroit, Michigan and now resides in Ruskin, Florida.
Diane discovered and began to explore the wonderful world of art at the age of five. Encouraged by her family, her love of art and drawing grew. Her first public exposure, a collection of her work was exhibited at the Detroit Institute of Art when she was twelve years old. She continued to pursue her art interest in all media and was featured in the Detroit Free Press after creating a fairy land of wall murals in the bedroom of her first born. The birds, animals, Snow White and the Seven dwarfs danced around the nursery. She is a graduate of the Meinzinger School of Art, Detroit, Michigan.
After raising four wonderful children, she pursued a career in designing clothing for the entertainment industry in the Detroit area.
She moved to California in 1979 and settled in Oceanside. A new professional career began for Diane in the Tour & Travel/Hotel Industry. Utilizing her background and talent in the arts, she designed hotel brochures, tradeshow exhibits, and clothing uniforms for the Hilton Hotel staff. She also worked for several of the wonderful resorts in San Diego county as Director of Sales and Marketing. While serving in her executive role she also created children’s coloring books with matching tee shirts that were sold in the resort gift shop.
In 2006 Diane moved to Ruskin Florida in the Tampa Bay area and plans to continue creating her work and exhibiting in
galleries and shows.
Diane attended her first gourd show at the Welburn Farm in Fallbrook, California. Fascinated and excited by what she had seen, she bought her first car load of gourds and developed a passion for their natural creative potential.
Her first pieces where ornaments, jewelry and one of a kind whimsical dolls which are her signature pieces. She has created works with an Indian and African theme as well as animals and various baskets, bowls and vessels.
Her pieces are created with acrylics, leather dyes, batiking, metallic paints, pencils and chalk. Embellishments include the beauty of feathers, pine needles, turquoise, coral, leather, beads, glass, bone and various other natural items.
Numerous visits to the gourd farms in Fallbrook , Escondido and now Bradenton are exciting to Diane. In her own words “Each gourd is unique and has its own personality. The flowing lines and unusual shapes create different ideas and concepts in the eye of an artist. The gourds seem to talk to me, saying please take me home. It’s very difficult to choose the gourds that I will work with because I love them all. Gourds are very spiritual to me. They make me feel happy, connected and seem to have magical and healing properties.
Working with them is my form of daily meditation. The end result being beautiful works of creative art that inhabit my soul with their luminous, luscious, adoring, fascinating nature. They are truly a labor of love.”
Diane is a member and currently affiliated with:
The American Gourd Society, The California Gourd Society, The Florida Gourd Society,
San Diego North County Fallbrook Gourd Patch, Misti Washington Gourd & Basket Guild ( Quail Botanical Gardens )
Oceanside Museum of Art, Vista Art Association, Rancho Santa Fe Business & Professional Womens Association
She has exhibited at the following art shows and galleries: The Welburn International Gourd Art Festival, Fallbrook, California
The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, The Grand Galleria, Escondido, California
Welburn Gallery, Fallbrook, California Bates Nut Farm, Valley Center, California The Designer Workshop, La Jolla, CA,
The Arboretum Gourd Fair, Los Angeles, California, The National Gourd Fine Art Show, Art & Cultural Center, Fallbrook, CA,
Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild Art Fair, Rancho Santa Fe, California, The Artists Gallery, Escondido, California
Visions In Art Gallery, Vista, California, The Artisans Gallery, Escondido, California
San Diego County Fair, Del Mar, California, Janika Designs International Fashion Bazaar, Carlsbad,CA
Jasmin Galleries, 7863 Herschel Ave, La Jolla. CA, The Gallery at Bazaar Del Mundo, Old Town San Diego
The Gugliotta Gallery, Apollo Beach, Florida.
Her work is being recognized by many collectors throughout the USA, Canada and the U.K. She has been commissioned to
create many individual pieces.
News articles include: San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego North County Times, Vista News , Riverside News, The Californian, Temecula Entertainment Roundup, Inland Empire Riverside, Tampa Tribune, South Shore news
Diane was profiled in the September 2005 edition of The Craft Report Magazine and is also listed in The Cambridge Who's Who
Registry. As the featured artist at the 5th Annual Welburn International Gourd Art Festival, Fallbrook, California
her “Batika” doll was displayed on the cover of the program guide. Her work will also be featured in an upcoming book by Ginger Summit and Jim Widess called "The Gourd Doll, The Spirit In The Gourd" to be released in spring 2007.
Diane was also featured on the Carol Duvall Show, HGTV and has won numerous awards and ribbons for her work.