ARTIST PROFILE
Diana Blazek
“The day that I arrived, I felt as though I’d found my spiritual home”. Says artist Diana Blazek about her move thirty years ago from Windsor to the Mississagi Valley. Diana had completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Windsor and was planning on continuing her career as an artist, when she and her husband Ian decided to purchase Hemlock Lodge on Jobammageeshig Lake and go into the tourism business.
Whenever Diana managed to steal time away for her art from the duties of her lodge it was the spectacular natural landscape of her wilderness surroundings that were the subject and inspiration for her artwork.
In 1986 the lodge was destroyed by fire, along with much of Diana’s early work, but even this tragic event proved to be another turning point in her career. Not to be daunted, Diana and Ian turned their energies to building a new log home, which became yet another medium and outlet for Diana’s artistry. In the re-building of her home she applied her artistic creative vision and taught herself the manual skills to make the new building – Hemlock Studio - a work of art in itself.
In the mid 90’s the Central Algoma School Board implemented a program in the Wharncliffe area which led Diana to undertake the teaching an adult introductory art class. It was here that she discovered her natural ability to teach. Diana has continued to teach adult art classes in Thessalon, Kynoch, and at Hemlock Studio.
In 1998, Diana took the opportunity to revive her passion of life drawing by joining the Underground Group in Sault Ste. Marie. In 2006 she was asked to put on weekend workshops in Figure Drawing and Portraiture at Sault College; these were very successful. All drawing enthusiasts will be glad to hear that Diana will again be at Sault College for a Figure Study Workshop March 17-18 and a Portraiture Drawing Workshop April 14-15.
Diana is a founding member of a new art-based tourism business; Algoma Wild Art Escapes. Here Diana offers complete artists’ getaway packages in the Mississagi Valley. An “Algoma Pastels” getaway will be held in June 2007, with Diana providing the instruction for the three-day workshop.
Of special note among Diana’s recent works are her “Children and Water” series. These large format, representational pastel images showcase Diana’s mastery of the medium. They feature the strong lines and brilliant colours that are typical of her work. Focusing on children in natural settings allows Diana to explore two of her passions – the vibrant landscape of her northern home, and the complex landscape of the human form.
Diana’s work has been displayed at various venues around Sault Ste. Marie, including LopLops Gallery and Lounge, the Art Gallery of Algoma, Four and Friends in Bruce Mines, the Sylvan Valley Tour and Deer Trail Studio Tours. She is the featured artist at Ginny Post’s Art, Tarts, and Tea Gallery, and will have a solo show at Alberta House in Sault Michigan in August, 2007.
