Inspired by his time in the Southwest and his many travels, painter Sean Diediker presents a new body of work to be exhibited at Blue Rain Gallery during the first half of March. Through roughly a dozen colorful portraits, still life and landscape paintings, “Diediker maintains a solid sense of form and compositional structure…,” says gallery manager Shella Huggett. “His art is characterized by sweeping brush strokes, bold colors and a contemporary approach to classical iconography.”
Trinity, oil on canvas panel, 60 x 48"
Diediker would like to believe that his work lives in that space between naturalism and impressionism. “However, in my most recent series I leaned more towards impressionism, which better suited the concept,” he says. “The overall objective was to convey those solitary and often sacred moments we all have—moments that evoke reflection and truly belong to the individual within their own environment.”
Between Moon and Fire, oil on canvas panel, 21¼ x 14¼"
Show works like Leaves in Stream—a scene involving a small body of water meandering through large rocks—epitomizes these “sacred” and “solitary” moments. Truly a calming and beautiful depiction of nature, the piece evokes feelings of peace and reflection. Other works like Between Moon and Fire depict more intimate, private and human moments, as a young woman in the nude wraps herself in bed sheets. “This painting was more of an experiment to see how far I could cohesively push that space between warm and cool within my traditional application of paint,” explains Diediker. “It’s of a friend of mine enjoying a reflective moment.”
Additional figurative work is also on display for the Blue Rain showcase, as seen in Flower Stroll,portraying a hatted young woman enjoying a “stroll” before a gorgeous backdrop of water and rock. We might not know what she seeks or how she feels, but we can all relate to her need for respite among nature.
Leaves in Stream, oil on canvas panel, 21½ x 24"
For Diediker’s piece Trinity, a picture of hot air balloons floating above a colorful landscape, the artist shares that he wanted to create a larger painting using larger tools, such as scrapers and squeegees. “It proved to be more challenging than I initially expected—bigger paintings always are,” he says. “But I’m quite pleased with the result. I’ve always had fond memories of the hot air balloons ever since I was a kid. It’s hard not to romanticize the idea of silently floating along the air current and absorbing all the visual splendor.”
Flower Stroll, oil on canvas panel, 16 x 12"
Diediker notes that he feels a painting is a visual document representing the artist’s experience and connection with the subject. “I believe when an artist starts a new painting, they’re actually giving birth to a third person,” he says. “This offspring will live long after both the artist and subject are gone. I think about this sometimes when I go to museums and see these little time capsules hanging on the wall. I know both the artist and subjects are no longer around, but the evidence of their connection is there right in front of me and has taken on a life of its own. I can only hope collectors have a similar experience with my work.”
The new collection will hang at Blue Rain’s Durango, Colorado, location and opens with a reception on Friday, March 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. The show will close March 15. —
Blue Rain Gallery, 934 Main Avenue, Unit B Durango, CO 81301 • (970) 232-2033 www.blueraingallery.com
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