CV/Bio
Diane E. Fairfield, born and raised in Northeast US, is an artist who now resides in the Southwest where her paintings are greatly influenced by the vast expanses that surround her. Her artistic passion was ignited in her as a child and, though her life took her in many other directions, she always returned to art and now paints full time. She has a vivid memory of the first time she knew she wanted to be an artist. At the age of 5, when drawing a scene with rain, her teacher complimented her on her accomplishment, using it as an example to the other children and succeeding in turning on a switch within her. That passion remains.
Her college and career years were also spent in the Northeast where she evolved into a career in human resource management. A major in commercial art in college, she realized that discipline did not fulfill her artistic passion and therefore continued studies in fine art following college. Fairfield has taken courses and workshops at a number of institutions both in New England and Arizona and continues to study through her own research and exploration.
In 1997 she and her husband made a major life decision and moved to southeast Arizona, leaving their careers and traditional life styles behind. One of the driving reasons for this change was to enable them to pursue art full time. Once they had moved from a suburban, career-driven life in the Boston area of New England to an extremely rural life in an undeveloped area in Arizona, their time was initially consumed in building their new home, beginning with a barn for their horses. Animals, and especially horses and dogs, are one of Diane’s great loves, thus the need to take care of them first.
Following that accomplishment they turned their hands to building their house and art studio themselves out of straw bale construction. Once completed, they began to fulfill their dreams of being fully engaged in art.
Fairfield is a colorist whose style is painterly and intuitive. Often she does not rely heavily on preliminary sketches other than the occasional thumbnail but prefers to plunge in, beginning with an idea of the composition followed by quick application of initial color. From there she builds the painting, line upon line, layer upon layer, often using palette knives and other tools to apply paint directly without brushes. She currently works primarily in oils over an acrylic underpainting. Because of her love of color and light, she sometimes incorporates light diffracting films and light reflecting materials. Through the addition of these elements she can create pieces which appear to have light within them and in which the color is constantly changing based on the external light, thus generating a dynamic experience for the viewer.
She is inspired by the natural environment around her, her faith, and the visions seen in her “mind’s eye”. For Fairfield, painting is a way of expressing not only the seen but the unseen, which for her are interwoven. “The challenge is to paint not only what my eyes see but also to make the invisible visible. I paint to express the wonder of what I see both physically and spiritually” and am rarely as happy as when at work in my studio.”
Describing as “intoxicating” the big sky, clarity and open space atmosphere in which she now lives, this sense of openness and space impacts much of her work along with the brilliant colors of the southwest skies. Viewers of her work have described it as “powerful” and having a quality that “draws you in”.
A traveler who saw her solo show at the Tucson International Airport wrote her to comment “I feel that you definitely make more of the invisible visible with your art and it has incredible power to resonate deeply within people. Your art radiates such beauty!”
Loving art that suggests rather than gives detail, her desire is to invite viewers into her paintings to experience what she sees, both naturally and spiritually. The themes that dominate her work are landscapes and nature, abstractions and spiritual or visionary work; often these are interconnected.
In her vision of art she is committed to communicating about beauty and the glory of God. “There is much in this life to pull us down and oppress us. My desire is to create a space where people can be uplifted and inspired - a place where they can get in touch with something that enriches them” says Fairfield.
Fairfield has been part of numerous solo and group shows. She is currently represented by Toscana Gallery in Tucson, AZ and Horses in Motion Gallery in Tubac, AZ. She is also represented by Saatchi Online at www.saatchionline.com. Previous gallery representations have included One Artist Road in Santa Fe, NM, Firefly Gallery in Tucson AZ, Contents Interiors in Tucson, AZ, 55 Main Gallery in Bisbee, AZ and Bisbee Fine Art in Bisbee, AZ. She is a Signature member of Contemporary Artists of Southern AZ (CASA), Tubac Center of the Arts in Tubac, AZ, and Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA). Her work is in private collections from coast to coast across the USA as well as overseas.
Art Education
Diane Fairfield’s art education has been acquired primarily through self-directed, independent study. In addition, she has studied with professionals at such art institutions as Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ, The Drawing Studio, Tucson, AZ, University of Arizona Continuing Education, Tucson AZ, with Janet Monafo, Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame, MA, Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, Centenary College, Hackettstown, NJ
Exhibitions, Group and Solo (selected)
2021:
Tubac Center of the Arts, Members Juried Exhibition, Tubac, AZ
2020:
CASA-Tucson International Airport, Juried show, "View from My Window Seat"
New Mexico Art in Public Places Acclaimed Artists Series. 2 year NM presentation
Tubac Members Open, Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ
Portland on the Park, juried show, Phoenix, AZ
2019:
The Fountains at La Cholla, juried show, “Textures of Time: Landscapes and Emotions", Tucson, AZ
Tucson International Airport, “We Live Here Now” juried show by Tubac Center of the Arts
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, “Water”, Phoenix, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, “Unplug”, Phoenix, AZ
Toscana Gallery, juried show “Possibilities”, Tucson, AZ
2018:
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, “Artist Inspirations”, Phoenix, AZ
Tucson Symphony Center, juried show, Tucson, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, “Unplug”, Phoenix, AZ
Univ. of AZ’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, juried show, “The Art of Planetary Science”, Tucson, AZ
2017:
Sonoran Arts League Small Works Art Juried Show, Cave Creek
MRA Associates, juried small group show, Phoenix, AZ
Tubac Center of the Arts, Members Open, Tubac, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, “Nature Nurtures Us”, Phoenix, AZ
Oakton Foundation Spring 2017 Juried Show, online
Solo Show, The Fountains at La Cholla, Tucson, AZ
Flagstaff Arts Council, juried show “NightVisions 2017, Flagstaff, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show “Tiny Works”, Phoenix, AZ
Northwest Mutual, juried show, Tucson, AZ
2016:
Tubac Members Juried Exhibit, Tubac, AZ
Sonoran Small Works Art Show, juried, Cave Creek, AZ
Habitat for Humanity juried show, Tucson, AZ
Mesch, Clark, Rothchild, juried show, Tucson, AZ
Herberger Theater Center University Club Gallery, juried show, “Art As A Means of Expression”, Phoenix, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, “Nature Nurtures Us”, Phoenix, AZ
Tubac Center of the Arts, Members Open, Tubac, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, “Give Color to Your Life”, Phoenix, AZ
Tubac Center for the Arts, juried show, “Wish You Were Here”, Tubac, AZ
Avondale City Hall, Avondale, AZ, juried show, Avondale, AZ
Solo Exhibition Tucson International Airport, juried show, Tucson, AZ
2015:
Solo Exhibition, juried show, Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Art Gallery, Tucson, AZ
Solo Exhibition, juried show, Nook Restaurant, Tucson, AZ
Tucson International Airport Solo Exhibition, juried show, Tucson, AZ
Southwestern Invitational, juried show, Yuma Fine Arts Assn., Yuma, AZ
2014:
Raices Taller Gallery, juried show, Chubasco, Tucson, AZ
Herberger Theater Center Art Gallery, juried show, The Ways of Water, Phoenix, AZ
Contents Interiors, juried show, Adventures in Desert Living, Tucson, AZ
The Drawing Studio “Beauty of the Beast”, , Tucson, AZ
2013:
Tucson Museum of Art, juried show, Art on Tap, Tucson, AZ
The Shemer Art Center and Museum, juried show, Animal Other Exhibit, Phoenix, AZ,
Tucson Pima Arts Council, juried show, Pioneer Building Exhibit, Tucson, AZ
Solo Exhibition Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Art Gallery, juried, Tucson, AZ
Contents Interiors, juried show, Art for Contemporary Desert Living, Tucson, AZ
2012:
College of Saint Elizabeth, curated show, Holy Lives Exhibit, Morristown, NJ
Light Space & Time Art Gallery, Juried Open Competition,
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and CCSG, “The View from Here”, Paso Robles, CA
SAACA/TCI, Juried Contemporary and Abstract Show, in Tucson, AZ
2011:
Light Space & Time Art Gallery, juried Open Exhibit
Contents Interiors, juried show, Adventures in Art Tucson, AZ
2010:
Ventana/SAACA Exhibition & Competition, Juried, Tucson, AZ
Bisbee Fine Art and Framing, Bisbee, AZ
Art Has No Borders Show and Auction, Bisbee, AZ
2009:
Dinnerware Artspace, “Luminous Landscapes”, Tucson, AZ
SWAN DAY Event, Bisbee, AZ
Awards (selected)
2020 Second Place, Juried Competition, “The View from My Window”, CASA
2019 Second Place, Juried Competition, Oakton Foundation
2019 Honorable Mention, Juried Competition, Oakton Foundation
2019 Second Place, Juried Competition, “Possibilities”, Toscana Gallery
2017 Second Place, Juried Competition, Oakton Foundation
2017 Honorable Mention, Juried Competition, Oakton Foundation
2017 Honorable Mention, Juried Competition, Oakton Foundation
2016 Honorable Mention, Juried Competition, “Skies”, Colors of Humanity Online Gallery
2016 Wish You Were Here, Tubac Center of the Arts winner, postcard award
2012 Honorable Mention, Juried Competition, “Open”, LightSpaceTime Art Gallery
2012 Special Recognition, Juried Competition, “Abstracts”, LightSpaceTime Art Gallery
2012 Special Recognition, Juried Competition, “Nature”, LightSpaceTime Art Gallery
2012 Special Recognition, Juried Competition, “Landscape”, Light Space Time Art Gallery
2011 3rd place , Contemporary and Abstract Show, TCI, SAACA
2011 Special Recognition Award, Juried Open Competition, Light Space Time Art Gallery
2001 San Pedro Valley (AZ) Art Association Juried Group Show. Awards included Best of Show & 1st Place Pastel
Bibliography (selected)
2020 “Christian Psychology Around The World” EMCAPP Journal #14
2020 Biola University’s Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts, Advent Calendar
2019 Salann Magazine, “Giving Artists A Voice”, January 2019, Longmont, CO
2016 Magnet, United Kingdom, No 111, Winter 2016, centerfold featured painting “New Jerusalem”
2016 Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church, featured painting “Glory Coming Down”
2014-2016 John Knox Presbyterian Church, featured various paintings
2014 Logos Production, Inc. “Behold: Arts for the Church Year”, featured painting “The Sheep”
2013 Seattle Pacific University Center for Biblical and Theological Education, Lectio Series on Wisdom Literature, featured painting entitled “The Listening Ear”
2013 Cover of Easter Communication featured painting “Glory Coming Down”, Redeemers Presbyterian Church, NYC, NY
2012 November issue of Sojourners Magazine, Washington, DC featured painting “Washed Clean”
2012 College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ “He Goes before Them” featured on all publicity for “Holy Lives” exhibit
2012 “Run with the Fire” exhibit in Great Britain featured painting “Receive My Power” in publicity
2010 Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review, April 8, 2010, Tempo, AZ
2008 Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review, December 11, 2008 p. 12, Tempo, AZ
2001 San Pedro Valley News-Sun. "Museum News: July Fine Arts Show Results"; August 1, 2001; page 4; Arts Reporter, AZ
Gallery Affiliations
Current:
Horses in Motion Gallery, Tubac, AZ
Toscana Gallery, Tucson, AZ
Saatchi Online, United Kingdom
Prior
Moonlight Creations, Tucson, AZ
Firefly Gallery, Tucson, AZ
55 Main Gallery, Bisbee, AZ
Contents Interiors, Tucson, AZ
One Artist Road, Santa Fe, NM
Fiore Gallery, Tucson, AZ
Bisbee Fine Art, Bisbee, AZ
Associations
Contemporary Artists of Southern Arizona, Signature Member, Tucson, AZ
Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ
Christians in the Visual Arts, Madison, WI