Art has been part of my life as long as I can remember.  My earliest memories are of coloring….(and winning a Clara Barton doll at a Saturday movie matinee coloring contest).

Then came drawing and painting.

As an adult I enrolled in art school for the pure pleasure of exploring every medium available.  I bought my first 35-mm camera and fell in love with photography.

A few years ago I started combining painting and photography.  I’m not exactly sure why, except it pleased me to combine them and also better reflected the way I see things.  Then I began playing with pique assiette where I am able to “paint” with broken plates and shards.  I particularly like decorating old window frames or furniture and turning them into one-of-a-kind jewels.

I also enjoy transferring my small (4X6), beautiful photographs of flowers into large scale oil paintings, some with custom painted frames.

In a previous life (in NYC) my first entrepeneural adventure was painting oversize t-shirts and tuxedo shirts.  For many years I designed and produced jewelry.  My claim to fame was having my jewelry appear on the big screen (in the movies Cocktail and Earth Girls are Easy) and purchased by celebrities.  I was fortunate to have my designs chosen both by Sheeptacular and Art of the Game, two  juried outdoor Pittsfield art exhibits.

My work is not intellectual.  I simply love color, texture and shape.  That is what I respond to and that is, in large part, my voice.

I particularly enjoy the challenge of turning your treasure, whether it’s a view, a house, a car, a motorcyle……into a personal and unique piece of art.

please contact me at diane.firtell@gmail.com or 413-394-9942.

Thanks for visiting my site!

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