Diane Rakocy

 

I've always been drawn to the energy of a painting. For me, art appreciation is all about what lies beneath the final image. I'm fascinated by the question: How does a painting go from idea to finished piece, and what do we discover about ourselves along the way?

Everything shifted for me when I stopped painting from reference images and began painting without direction. I love starting by adding paint with wild abandon - it feels a lot like life. We all begin with a blank canvas. We add color, experiment, discover what works and what doesn’t - and somehow, in some way, create something full of blemishes and beauty. My paintings reveal themselves in layers much the same way – slowly, mysteriously, magically. The final image may hold color and form, but it's the layers underneath that hold the spirit of the piece.

Ultimately, my paintings are invitations to pause, linger, and look again – to look deeper and glimpse what went into the making. What connects us beneath the surface? What universal virtues bind us - human to human, spirit to spirit? That’s where the beauty lives.

​​​​