Living the simple life and simply loving it.
By Fran Mast
In November,1998, Diane and Ted turned over the ownership of Graebner Art Gallery in Millersburg to their son and daughter-in-law, Dale and Jeri Graebner, and headed west. However, the pair found that settling in Henderson, Nevada, outside of Las Vegas, was too unsettling, and after two years, made another move. On a trip from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, they took a back road home and ended up in the small town of St. George, Utah. Diane fell in love with the area, located within close proximity to both Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon.
Always a lover of nature, Diane can now look out the kitchen window of her Utah home, through towering pine trees, and see Pine Mountain rising some 5,000 feet above her. Although the Graebner home is in a desert area, Diane says, “We’ve found an oasis here.” Surrounded by trees and blessed with a pond, their home invites a bevy of wildlife visitors that come and go on a regular basis, much to Diane’s delight, although she admits there are some disadvantages.
“We tried a garden this year, but the deer ate everything. These are mule deer that can jump straight up” (and over her 4 1/2 ft. fence). Fortunately, her friendly neighbor has a 10 foot fence and is more than generous with her garden fare.
Always the teacher, Diane also found a home at Tuacahn High School for Performing Arts. The school of 180 students, grades 9-12, is open to all Utah students free of charge. Now six years old, Tuacahn draws celebrities who star in summer-long outdoor theater, with students involved in various aspects of the productions. Diane taught two art classes per day for a year and a half.
“I’m always learning,” she confesses. “I always felt this way when I was teaching. If you want to learn, you teach. I grew through (teaching) them.”
Diane also feels she learned through the years she lived among the Amish. “It’s like looking at life through a child’s eyes,” she says. Fascinated by the simplicity of their lives and the centrality of God and family, she began painting landscapes which included some aspect of Amish life.
Her art career took a different path one day when, digressing from her rural landscapes, she painted a faceless little Amish girl with kittens on her lap. The innocence and simplicity of the painting touched her heart, resonating with who she was as a person. Strong family bonds, childhood innocence, maternal love, depicted in her paintings as recurring themes, became a recognizable hallmark in her work.
In addition to her personal appearances and signings across the country, Diane’s works of art can be found in galleries throughout the United States. She has created over 100 cross-stitch patterns, most of which are Amish-themed, and extremely popular in France, Belgium, England, and Australia.
“It’s the appeal of the children,” states Diane of the popularity.
To Diane’s surprise, her move to Utah afforded her another opportunity to continue her painting style - only in a different venue. Surrounded by the beauty of the southwest and the culture of the Native Americans, she began researching their customs and then painting them.
“I read so much,” she admits. “The Native Americans are so much like the Amish. Nature is such a part of their being, and, like the Amish, do not like being photographed. I don’t paint faces on them either.”
Different culture, same themes: the innocence and exuberance of childhood, the joy of family, everyday occurrences translated through an artist’s eyes and hands to canvas. And through it all, Diane’s open appreciation for her subjects.
In Utah, Diane experiences what she found in Holmes County : “Inner peace. I found such an inner peace with the Amish, such a richness. I don’t have a lot of money, but I feel rich.”
Did she ever, at age 11 when her parents first recognized her artistic abilities and encouraged her in that direction, dream that one day her art would also be recognized and loved by so many?
“Never! Never,” she exclaims. “I often wonder when the bubble’s going to burst!”
As for plans for the future?
“Who plans?” she laughs. “I’ve never been big on plans! Life just sort of happens and I go that direction.” She admits to looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren, coming back to Holmes County “to recharge the batteries”, and painting “some way out kinds of things just for fun!”
Although Diane and Ted now reside in the far country of Utah, residents of Holmes County will always greet them with open arms and a warm “welcome home”.
Diane and Ted Graebner will be at Graebner Gallery in Millersburg, Ohio, Saturday, October 9, 2004 from 11 am to 5 pm for an Open House. Diane will be signing prints of “Pumpkin Patch”, a limited edition of 100 prints instead of the usual 750.
In addition, there will be a mini-print giveaway, and, with the purchase of an original, a limited number of video tapes will be available at no cost. With the purchase of a print, they will be available for $5.00. Refreshments will be served.
© 2004 Traveler Publications
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