Arts: Visual
Meet Diane Seskes
I began taking photographs when I was an adolescent. I photographed friends, family, pets, landscapes, and abstract objects with a variety of simple cameras, from a basic Polaroid camera to a pinhole camera. Later in life, I purchased a Minolta SRT 101 35 mm camera, which became my close friend for more than 25 years as I used my lens to capture precious moments in my family’s life. In the mid 1990’s, I began to take my photography seriously. After I participated in a photography workshop offered by the Cuyahoga Valley Photo Society, I purchased a Nikon F100, began shooting solely with Velvia slide film, and, subsequently, began exhibiting and publishing my photographs.
Although I still use my photography to record life’s moments, I now focus primarily upon scenics, landscapes, close-ups, and abstractions of nature. I credit my love for nature to my upbringing. My father built a home and relocated us to the openness of Broadview Heights back in the late 1950’s. He dredged a pond in the backyard where wild turkeys, pheasants, and blue herons stopped to visit. He also planted an evergreen farm. My mother raised beautiful flowers in the beds surrounding our property, bringing color into our life. My childhood experiences imprinted a love of the outdoors and nature upon my soul.
Much of my photography focuses upon my view of the Cuyahoga Valley area, which I still use my Nikon F100, Velvia slide film and available light to photograph. I am lucky to live in Peninsula, surrounded by a national park. I am renewed every time I go out to photograph the beauty in this area—the fog rising from the valley; the changing seasons; the subtle light that filters through the trees; the reflections off the rivers, streams, and ponds. Through my photography, I try to capture what my soul feels as I immerse myself in the beauty of nature.
Recently, I have been branching out and incorporating my photographic images in glass and acrylics, with etching and with hand painting—all illuminated with light. I received a Creative Opportunity Grant from Artists of Rubber City last year and began the experimentation process. I plan to create a body of work for exhibition later this year.
I taught English full time for 31 years and retired 3 years ago. I still teach part-time, but my full-time jobs now are The Log Cabin Gallery and my photography. The Log Cabin Gallery has grown from a haphazardly scheduled, very small venue to a distinctive Gallery showcasing local and regional artists in four seasonal exhibits each year. The Gallery features my photography along with the works of more than 20 other artists, ranging from ceramics to fiber arts, woodcarving to jewelry, and glass art to garden art.
CONTACT INFO:
Diane Seskes
The Log Cabin Gallery
1671 Main St. (Route 303)
(Behind the house up
North Canal St.)
Peninsula, OH 44264
330.657.2670
VIEWINGS:
Diane’s work can be seen at The Log Cabin Gallery recreARTed Autumn Exhibit,
Enchanted Summer Exhibit:
Weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun) from Oct. 5 through Nov. 4 /
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Diane’s work can be seen at www.dianeseskesphotography.com and www.thelogcabingallery.com.
