Dianne Bersea watercolour, watercolor & acrylic artist, Dianne Bersea Reflects on Her Career as an Artist, philosophy of art and teaching, Canadian west coast, Cortes Island.

dawn, Cortes Island, Dianne Bersea photo

Desolation Sound View, Dianne Bersea photo


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Dianne Bersea Reflects on Her Career as an Artist
"My story and philosophy about doing and teaching art."

On receiving AFCA signature status in February 2008, Cindy Mawle of the FCA Arrowsmith Chapter approached me to do an interview for their newsletter. I found the questions she sent quite stimulating and cause for thought. I was so pleased with the outcome that I have revised my responses slightly and with Cindy’s permission I would like to share the results. The questions are inferred rather than included.

My art career began as soon as I could hold a pencil. When I was a child in the 1950’s my father’s work took us into the isolated BC wilderness - a log cabin on the Thompson River, a lighthouse station at Pachena Point, and into the open rangeland west of Williams Lake. I was surrounded by the most spectacular land and sea vistas. My fascination with nature, natural forms and the drama of our wild weather began right there.

My art interest began there too and was quickly recognized and supported with neighbours stepping in to teach me and correspondence education instructors marveling at my school submissions. Strangely however, when it came time to earn a living, the cultural myth of YCMLA (You Can’t Make a Living as an Artist) took serious hold. I tried pre-med…briefly.

In the end, I had no other choice but to be an artist though I took many detours. Following a “checkered career” that involved employment as diverse as shoe sales to exhibit design, and work in media as diverse as 2D, 3D, animation and digital, concrete, plaster, Styrofoam, plexi, cast aluminum, collage, etching, silkscreen, collagraph, watercolour, acrylic, oil, pencil, brush, pen, ink and even large scale public installations, I recognized a need to express my creative vision in my own way.

With a move to Cortes Island in ’95, I decided to see what would happen if I focused exclusively on fine art painting. These days I’m happiest in watercolour and I have a love – sometimes antagonistic - relationship with acrylic. Although as I work more with these mediums I am developing a deep fondness for the opportunities each presents.

What I love about painting / creating is the freedom. I can go inside my head and heart and do what inspires me. I operate within a feed back loop of my own making. To me, it’s like a meditation, and a meditation that empowers, inspires and carries me into new territory creatively. Sketching, painting, creating increases my awareness. That heightened awareness in turn enhances my work and supports an even deeper investigation. It’s the joy of self-directed focus and “bringing my attention to” that I love.

Landscape, landscape art and the natural world has always held a deep attraction for me. The land (and wild realm) is my grounding place and I’ve often lived & worked in non-urban areas that have made a strong impact – the Cariboo, on Kootenay Lake, in the Alberta foothills and Cortes Island, of course! And I love being exposed to the weather – the weather that reminds us we are not in charge, that we are just part of the greater mystery. Whenever I am presented with the drama of the sky I like to render it in watercolour or any medium that comes to hand.

Just getting to the work is often the biggest stumbling block, and I can manufacture any number of distractions. But giving myself deadlines and specific projects gets me going. I usually put in 4 – 5 creative hours per day, 4 – 5 days a week, especially when there is a show, jury or other extra stimulus to keep me at my easel. And I always make sure my workspace is set up and ready to go with lots of materials on hand. I feel very fortunate to have a large studio with two stations set up to do acrylic, a watercolour area and tons of storage. Extra tables accommodate prep work and cutting mats, though I’m turning framing jobs over to the professionals as much as possible.

When asked, my advice to everyone is “just do it!” There is no way to get there but through. There is no way to succeed without doing the work. Build on strengths. Recognize weaknesses. Be open to new learning. Miss-steps and mistakes are just another way to make new discoveries. Love what you do. Set realistic goals. Seek knowledgeable mentors. Celebrate every accomplishment no matter how small. Rejections are only guideposts.

I love teaching and I offer workshops in watercolour, acrylic, drawing and the application of creative thinking, all in an atmosphere of cheerful support and clear direction. I put a lot of emphasis on “seeing” and “seeing” beyond our culturally imposed visual expectations. I believe learning good brush technique, good basic painting technique and a good understanding of art principles can transport everyone into new artistic territory and enhance our appreciation of our world. My objective is achieved when students are excited by the process, feel inspired to continue and ready to integrate new ideas into their own work!

My long term goal? To continually challenge myself. To seek more opportunities to teach, paint, show, write, publish and travel, submit for more credentials and earn an income that reflects my accomplishment… and have fun!

I admire many artists but I’ve never wished to be one of them. I would have loved to travel with the American artist Thomas Moran as he drew Yellowstone Park in the 1850’s, or joined writer Mary Schaeffer on her Rocky Mountain explorations in the early 1900’s, or looked over the shoulder of Turner as he watercolour sketched the English seaside. A sketching trip with Lawren Harris, Carmichael or Emily Carr would have been perfection indeed.

It’s been a long and evolving journey of another sort to arrive where I am. I had to change an attitude of low or exaggerated expectations, and a failure to recognize successes. I still struggle with seeing my accomplishments but now that I know how important that recognition is, I’ve begun moving forward quickly.

I continually celebrate past and present accomplishments such as graduating art school with honours, being the recipient of a substantial Canada Council Explorations Grant, working in Barbados on exhibits for the UN Conference on Sustainable Island States, election to membership in the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolours, a solo show at the Campbell River Public Art Gallery, AFCA signature status with the FCA, teaching successful workshops and… just getting into the studio to paint!! It’s a journey everyday! And a journey that needs my conscious attention and celebration!!

Last but not least – what would my ultimate show be? It would bring together everything I have ever done -- a personal retrospective. My guest list would include all the people who believed in me when I didn’t, all the people who’ve shared their skill and talent with me, all the people I’ve taught, all the people who’ve bought my art, and all the friends who have supported me through it all.

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