For our third interview of the 2020 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to nature lover and mixologist Diane Keesee about travel and nature as art inspirations, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and where to get a great cocktail! Thanks, Diane!
Be sure to check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the progress of our interviewees! And make sure you check your email (and this site) for important information on drop off, the event, and art pick up!
We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?
I am originally from Washington State, but my father worked for the DuPont Company during a time when families were transferred around the country every few years – we landed in Delaware twice and the second time stuck. I love the beauty and the history of this area; from the old dry stacked stone walls that line the fields along the Brandywine to the marshes and beaches in lower Delaware. While I currently live just across the line in Pennsylvania, I feel like the boundaries are pretty amorphous and I identify more with Delaware.
When I first heard about Fun a Day, I was working 50 to 60 hours a week in the hospitality industry and felt like I had no time for art. Fun a Day showed me that a few minutes were enough for a small piece and that was enough to sustain my creative needs. I love being able to meet the artists and seeing all the wonderful work that is created as part of Fun a Day makes me realize how many amazingly talented artists are part of our community and how lucky we are to have this project to bring everyone together.
This is going to be your FOURTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?
I think my favorite project was the last one, Coffee and a View (aka Where my Heart Lies). I love pastels and it gave me a chance to expand my knowledge of the medium while working on my drawing and “seeing” skills. Being in the Caribbean, one of my happy places, helped cement this project as a favorite.
We love the description you have on your Instagram @dtksilk, which states “Nature lover, gardener, artist, seeker of peace, beauty, and breathtaking views”. So tell us, how did you discover that nature was your happy place as an artist?
My parents always encouraged us to be outdoors as much as possible and took us to some pretty amazing places when we were young. My origins and family roots are in the Pacific Northwest and we didn’t have to go very far to find spectacular views. My favorite places were any location on Mount Rainier and tide pools along the shore of Puget Sound. Anytime I am upset, I have found that a walk in the woods will calm me and clear my head.
Over the years, your projects have been “Drawing A Day”, “Flower A Day”, and “Coffee & A view”. Each of these projects has a sense of serenity and peacefulness about them, so tell me, how has your enjoyment and comfort working on these projects increased with each year?
After the first year, A Drawing a Day, I tried to step out of my comfort zone and work in mediums I am not used to using, so I don’t think I would describe the process as comfortable. Enjoyable and gratifying – yes! I think everyone should challenge themselves, otherwise, how do we grow?
Please describe your 2020 project "Things that can hurt you". Has there been a recent pain that has entered your life and taken you in this direction?
“Things That Can Hurt You” started as a joke. I was working on a pastel of poison ivy for someone who gets it every time they work in the garden and in the process my morbid sense of curiosity led me to look up other toxic plants and then began thinking of common household items that put us at risk. Some of the items are pretty subtle, so it will be interesting to see how the viewer interprets what the threat might be. I just saw an ad for a book called “ABC Death.” It’s an alphabet book of animals that can kill you, especially if you make poor life choices. Maybe this is becoming a subconscious theme in today’s world.
Your first Fun-A-Day with us was in 2017, and your grand-daughter Lauren Wilson began participating with us in 2018. Do you think that seeing your work in the exhibit directly influenced her to participate in this event? And how have you inspired each other’s projects in the years since?
Lauren is a very talented artist and I am always in awe with each new piece she creates. She is in a great art program at school and I hope she is able to continue when she goes to college next year. I encouraged her to participate in 2018 and this year she texted me to tell me she had signed up and asked if I would do it too. I can’t wait to see her project.
As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice did you give your grand-daughter when she began participating? Is there any piece of advice that you believe would be a top priority for any new-comers to take a hold of?
Lauren’s first year was only my second, so I was still pretty new to Fun a Day and just encouraged her to join in the fun. Now, to any newcomers, I would say keep it simple, especially the first time and DON’T PROCRASTINATE!!!
Now for a non-art-related question! Tell us about your interests outside of nature and art making… you make fascinating posts about Wine, Whiskey, Cocktails, etc… are you an alcohol curator? A mixologist? Shed some light on this fun topic!
I started in hospitality as a bartender – just a second job for a little extra cash. I found I liked it a lot. Making cocktails, mixology, is like cooking – flavors blend and enhance each other to make something better than the individual elements. I enjoyed creating specialty cocktails for events and cocktail lists, and teaching mixology.
As my hospitality career evolved towards the management side, the work/life balance got way out of kilter. Now I do promotional tastings on the weekends and have time for backpacking, gardening and ART!
I will be giving two lectures/tastings this year at Mount Cuba – the first is on gin (juniper is a native plant) and the second will be on infusing alcohol with native fruits and herbs.
Have you ever thought about pairing your art with different alcohols? For example, you may be interested in drawing the bottles, or using the color schemes from different labels, using the actual alcohol in your paints, etc. Have you thought of “pairing” the two?
I do use alcohol (though not the drinking kind) to “paint” with pastels. Alcohol spreads the pigment around and leaves more of the grit or tooth of the paper available for more layers. I also mix alcohol and water with dyes when I am “painting” on silk. Maybe one of my future Fun a Day projects will be dyed silk pieces.
Where can people see more of your work?
Right now, I have a pastel at Girard Craft and Cork in Wilmington. I am working on a website, but for now, my on-line presence is on Instagram and my dtksilk facebook page. I try to participate every year in the Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Show with my silk scarves and pillows and in February, will have two pastels in a group show at Gallery 222 in Malvern.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Just that I am grateful for all of the work you do for Fun a Day so the rest of us have an outlet for our creative projects. I hope to be able to challenge myself and encourage others to stretch beyond their comfort zones.