– Self-taught artist uses art for peace of mind

ART was not something that 26-year-old Diana Daniela Luke-King was especially enthusiastic about during her school days. But the ability was always there because her parents would encourage her to be creative; her dad, Edward, being a leather craftsman himself!

After completing her first painting back in 2012, Diana never looked back. Today, painting is all she does. In fact, she says a day wouldn’t go by without her creating something.

Speaking with Pepperpot Magazine a few days ago, she reflected on how her first painting nine years ago turned out very well and prompted her to continue doing art. “I am self-taught. My first painting turned out quite well and I haven’t stopped since. I can’t seem to stop,” she expressed.

She focuses heavily on portraits of Guyanese women and animals, and strives to promote the local customs and culture in each of her paintings – doing so with her own style of painting.

“It’s more of a contemporary pop art, taking Guyanese culture into account,” she explained, adding, “So it won’t look like a regular oil portrait of somebody. It would look like a little bit of street art on canvas. So it would depict Guyanese culture-wise.”

Diana is able to achieve this through the details she chooses to include, like the woman’s attire; her headwear, garments, etc. “The way they look… some of the women look mixed. I try to do a little bit of everything. Of course, that’s how our Caribbean and Guyanese people look; a little bit of everything in one,” she shared.

Commenting on what art does for her, Diana said working on a project gives her great peace of mind. Once she starts a piece, she would not rest until it’s completed. “I would sit there and do it; I don’t really do anything until I complete it. It takes your mind off of everything, so it’s kind of hard to stop.”

At times though, painting can have a very intense and overwhelming effect. “This is especially if it’s a really big piece. It’s hard to stop yourself.”

Diane’s dad was also self-taught and has been perfecting his trade for more than 30 years now. So she believes that her family has played a crucial role in the direction that her life has taken so far.

“It’s in the family to be creative. I would go in my dad’s workshop as a child and help him stamp something or help with something else. That’s how it all started for me, with encouraging parents,” she reflected.
“My parents always encouraged us to be creative and it just kind of grew, I guess. A day doesn’t go by without me doing something creative. I paint every day,” she continued.

The positive response that Diane has been receiving where her paintings are concerned only serve as more motivation for her to keep pressing forward. “It was surprising to me at first. I always painted what I like personally; everyone has their own painting preference, and I’ve always painted for me, and surprisingly enough, I’ve come across a lot of like-minded people – my customers who buy my paintings,” she said.

At the moment, Diane said her paintings can be found all over the world as tourists who come across them simply buy them and take them back with them. “Right now, I have in China, some in Russia, two in Thailand, in New York. They’re everywhere,” she observed.

The craft shop, Eddie’s Craft, can be found in Booth 7, Hibiscus Craft Plaza, North Road, Georgetown, outside of the Georgetown Post Office.

Meanwhile, according to a BBC article entitled, “Getting creative really does boost your mood,” getting creative can help prevent stress, free up mind space and improve self-development, which helps build self-esteem.

“Almost 50,000 people took part in the BBC Arts Great British Creativity Test. The findings said there are emotional benefits from taking part in even a single session of creativity. But there are cumulative benefits from regular engagement in arts activities and trying new pursuits is particularly good for our emotions and well-being, it suggests,” the article stated.

The survey also revealed that the most benefit comes from taking part in live creative activities that involve face-to-face social interaction, like singing in a choir or taking part in a group’s painting class. Virtual creative experiences also have some benefits, but there is not as much gain.