Memberships
For my first solo show, I chose the title "The lived Landscape".
The use of the phrase is significant. My work is a direct response to the act of living, working, breathing my inspiration.
I love spending hours in quiet communion with nature; drawing, watercolour sketching, becoming attuned to the smallest sound or movement. I enjoy making quick sketches to catch a cloud or special light, whenever something catches my eye.
Although I often take photographs as reference, I find that photographs rarely capture what my eye and heart sees. My best work is done from the simplest sketches which I develop in my studio, bringing rich colors, natural designs and imagination into play.
Always there is a fine balance between intuition and technical manipulation in the finished work. Throughout I celebrate the existence, vitality and guidance of the marvelous wonders around me.
I enjoy sharing that intimacy, revealing the effect of natural and creative processes, sharing the joy of putting brush to paper.
Dianne Bersea cspwc
Biography
Dianne has been a professional artist for 30 years with creative beginnings in the wild places of Canada’s western province..., including a river-side log cabin nestled in the Okanagan Mountains and a lighthouse station on the blustery outer coast of Vancouver Island. Home-schooled on a emergency air base in the open grassland of the Fraser Plateau, Dianne grew up among the wild animals, grasslands and forests of BC central plateau.
"I still have a great fondness for all that I encountered in my earliest years -- the rich, deep mysteries of the rainforest, and the expanse of warm color in rangeland and high plateau. It's no wonder that I love having a close, immediate relationship with my physical and emotional landscape."
Despite occasional urban residencies, Dianne has always sought her most meaningful home-places in the deep lake valleys or isolated islands of the B.C. Coast.
Now a partner in Manzanita Muse Studio on Cortes Island, Dianne explores her environment through a variety of media, including watercolor, acrylic, pen & ink, pencils, watercolor pencils and watercolor crayons. "I'm really in the mood to experiment right now. I can see my work changing in the near future. More depth, more richness."
Dianne brings to all her work the knowledge and discipline of careers in graphic design, fine art, natural history illustration, and, exhibit design for Canada’s national parks. She is also an accomplished watercolor painter and workshop presenter. Dianne inspires students with her unabashed enthusiasm, humor and knowledge of the creative process. She lives and works on Cortes Island in B.C.’s northern Gulf Islands.
Signature Member (AFCA) 2008 - Federation of Canadian Artists
Elected member 1999, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour
Diploma in Visual Communications, Printmaking Alberta College of Art, honours 1986
Banff Publishing Workshop, Books and Magazines - Banff Center, Alberta 1982
Associate Member - British Columbia Art Teacher’s Association
March 2008, juried to signature status, Federation of Canadian Artists
February 21 - March 11, 2007 Spontaneity Juried Show, Federation of Canadian Artists, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
March 3 - March 28, 2007 Firesign Four Group Show, "Transitions", Tidemark Theatre, Campbell River, BC.
February 4 - 18, 2007 Landscapes Juried Show, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
March 30 - April 30 2006 Waterworks, Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour British Columbia Chapter show, Blackberry Gallery, Port Moody, BC.
March 28 - April 9 2006 Monochrome Juried Show, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
October 15 - 29, 2007 Artist's Choice Juried Show, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC.January 31 – Feb 19 2006 Landscape Juried Show, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
November 11 – 26, 2005 Federation of Canadian Artists Annual Juried Chapter Show, Muir Gallery, Courtenay, B.C.
August 28 - October 2, 2005 Meeting the Muse, Group Show, Dianne Bersea, Jodi Forster and Meinsje Vlaming, Grasshopper Gallery, Quadra Island, BC.
June 17 - July 23, 2005 Island Perspectives, FCA Juried Show, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo B.C.
April 12 - 28/05 Black & White Juried Show, Federation Gallery, Vancouver BC
March 10 - April 16/05 10th Anniversary Retrospective, Campbell River Public Art Gallery, Campbell River BC
March 29 - April 10/05 Still Life Juried Show, Federation of Canadian Artists, Federation Gallery, Vancouver BC
October 8 - 18/04 FCA Chapter Show, Pearl Ellis Gallery, Courtenay BC, Award of Excellence for acrylic “Powell Islet View”
June 27 - July 5/04 Solo Show, Eclectic New Work, Hollyhock Centre, Cortes Island BC
Nov 5/03 - Jan 4/04 Diploma Collection 1997-2000 Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor, Art Gallery of Peel, Brampton, Ontario
June 19 – Aug 22/03 Post and Beams and Canning Machines, juried show, Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, Steveston BC
Sept 02 – March/03 Essence of the Sea, juried traveling group show, Living Oceans Society, various locations including Victoria, Nanaimo & University of BC, Vancouver
Dec 10/01 - Jan 10/02 Undercurrents, group show, Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, Wallace Gallery, Toronto, Ont.
Sept 10 - Oct 29/99 The Lived Landscape, solo show, Campbell River Public Art Gallery, Campbell River, B.C.
Sept 21, 1999 Election to Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, jury CSPWC Bowen Island Symposium
24 x 51""