Diane Churchill is an artist who has been painting and drawing since childhood. Churchill moved to New York in the 1960’s and has exhibited her work since the 1970’s. Currently, she lives close to the Hudson River in Nyack, New York.

In the last year, Churchill’s work has transitioned from themes surrounding nature and landscape to imagery of water. Churchill uses  creative materials such as large sponges, mop strings, towels, and mica to deliver colorful canvasses of water themes that are exceptionally unique.

In the photgraph to the top right, Churchill captures the forms water takes as it ebbs and flows. She addds details including splashes of color and bubbles which create an exciting visualization of water in nature.

Churchill completed this painting by using an underlayer of gesso applied thickly in some places and lightly in others. She used a large mop to create the splashing water effect and a sponge to define the bubble in the gesso layer. The piece has great use of color, shading, and texture.

After the gesso dried, Churchill applied another layer of paint. “The exuberant nature of falling water was created by gesso layers underneath”, said Churchill. She also placed chips of mica in the lower left corner with a thin layer of yellow paint beneath to replicate the way water sparkles in the light.

A piece in Diane Churchill's series on Water

In the picture to the left, Churchill emphasized the downward flow of water through colorful shades of blue and additional texture embellishments. A layer of gesso was applied with a towel in sections to acheive this affect. The gesso layers were applied to represent the way water falls in a downward motion with the pull of gravity. “My pieces look as if they were completed in a fleeting moment of spotanaeity. But, it took a  lot to get there”, said Churchill.

Churchill used three layers of paint to show a pattern of light captured by water. A gloss medium was applied in the upper left corner of the image for a pronounced effect of light on water. Churchill used plain paper and pieces of thick cream paper to surround the image. “I want to isolate the colorful cascades of blue. Water is main theme in this piece and should stand alone”, said Churchill.

The work of Diane Churchill is intriguing because she explores an innovative method of creating art. In Churchill’s former work, the sun and its power was a main focus. One can observe the transition of her new journey into the exploration of water through her technique of layered gesso and paint. Surely, Churchill’s work offers a new perspective on water art. She interprets  and represents the various properties of water in a way that challenges viewers to see water in a new light.

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