Nadine’s Fine Art and Frames in downtown Vernon is showing the artwork of Vernon’s Diana Gritten for the month of January
“Diana’s paintings evoke a richness of the subjects and message, and her unique style with watercolour, acrylic, and mixed media create a brilliance of texture, freedom and movement,” said gallery owner Nadine Wilson.
Born in Half-Way-Tree near Kingston, Jamaica, Gritten immigrated with her parents to North Vancouver at a young age. After growing up on the coast, she moved to the Okanagan in 1973, where she currently resides.
Gritten has been interested in the arts since she was a teen. Travels abroad with her family, and to this day, have given her opportunities to explore master artists at the Louvre as well as at the Van Gogh, Rijks, Rembrandt and Rodin museums.
With an interest in art history, Gritten has compiled many photographs and journals from which to paint, particularly from her recent travels to South Africa, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Paris and California.
After attending fine art classes at Okanagan University College in the ‘90s, Gritten has devoted herself to improve her art. She has taken watercolour and mixed media classes with Vernon artist Angelika Jaeger, and last summer showed her work with Jaeger in an exhibition at the Armstrong Spallumcheen Art Gallery.
She has also studied mixed media with Donna Baspaly, Suzanne Northcott and Jean Pederson and painting en plein air with Coldstream’s James Postill as well as acrylics with Vancouver’s David Doody and intuitive painting with Kelowna’s Fiona Neal.
Gritten is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and her artwork has been displayed throughout the Okanagan, including with the Kalview Painters Group and at the Vernon Community Arts Centre, Ashpa Naira Gallery, the Vernon Performing Arts Centre’s Coat Check Gallery and at Sparkling Hill Resort.
Her work is also part of private collections in White Rock, Salmon Arm, Naramata, Vernon, Coldstream, Armstrong, West Vancouver and the Netherlands.
The public can meet Gritten at an open house for her exhibition at Nadine’s, 3101 31st Ave., Thursday, Jan. 7 from 5 until 7 p.m.