The key to a fuller appreciation of the jewel-like oil paintings created by Diane McClary is in the understanding of her careful attention to both light and color. What makes McClary’s work such a wholly exciting and rewarding discovery is the brilliant interplay of these two key elements, and her innate understanding that in a well executed painting, less is very often more.

McClary, a gifted plein air painter, controls the mood and the feeling of her work by constantly striving to accurately reflect the color harmony that is true according to the quality of light at that very moment. For her to accomplish this effectively, in painting after painting, requires discipline, and careful planning, combined with an ability to work quickly and confidently. For many painters, this is a risky high wire act that often produces less than stellar results. For Diane McClary, however, this process is what brings excitement and joy to her life. It is evident in every painting she creates.

Diane McClary has honed her painting skills over a period of three decades, first under the tutelage of master painters Sergei Bongart and Ron Lukas, and then later as a painting teacher herself, in the workshops she has led throughout the US, in Africa, Asia and elsewhere. McClary has also carefully studied the work of the painters she most admires, Maynard Dixon, Paul Grimm, and William Wendt, among others, learning from their distinctive painting styles, and concentrating on the compositional structures and color palettes that these artists used so skillfully.

If there is a definitive word to describe this artist’s approach to painting, it is ‘confidence’. McClary is clearly comfortable working 'without a net', and in taking risks to achieve the results she is seeking. Her canvases feel complete, with all the elements necessary to carry the visual narrative forward, and executed in a manner that invites the viewer to go beyond mere observer and become a full participant. Each of Diane McClary's thoughtful paintings carries to the viewer a nonverbal interaction that extends back through to the artist herself. These are the paintings of a mature artist with prodigious talent, and in complete control of her craft.

     PARADIGM ARTS GROUP

  To read a short interview with Diane, click here.

  To view recent work, visit the Paintings Page.

  To view giclee prints, visit the Prints Page.

  To download a catalogue of paintings, click here.

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