The Artist -
Diane Schafer-King |
Diane Schafer-King is from Grosse Ile, Michigan. She credits growing up on this island with first establishing her love of nature and the elements, especially water. "The island is lush, with many wooded areas, lots of animals and easy access to the water. I remember being fascinated at an early age with how the wind moved the water, sometimes in a steady current with lots of light patterns reflected on the surface and other times whipping it into frothy whitecaps."
Diane's passion is marbling. Marbling, with its drops of paint floated on a solution of water and powdered seaweed is a natural medium for her expressions. As a child, little did she know that her observations of the patterns on the water surrounding the island were the beginning of her education as a marbler. Diane moved from Ann Arbor, Michigan in the late 1970's to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to develop her career as a speech pathologist. "Having dual careers as an artist and speech pathologist has given me access to a larger world of communication. I'm so glad I was paying attention and listened to my intuition when each of these career paths presented themselves to me. I can honestly say it felt like divine intervention on both occasions when the speech pathologist and the marbling artist found me." |
The Story - How Marbling Found Me |
"In 1987 I traveled to Chicago with a group of artist friends to take in the sites. While I was wandering through the aisles of a bookstore in Water Tower Place, a paperback book titled, Marbling on Paper, fell off the shelf in front of me. I picked it up intending to place it back on the shelf. When I looked at the cover, I was mesmerized by the colored patterns. Opening it, turning each page, I became even more intrigued and interested. What gorgeous patterns on these papers! I remember thinking, what is this? What is marbling? As I pondered these questions I remember my heart quickened with excitement. It felt like I had just stumbled upon a great ancient treasure. The book was like a magnet in my hand, powerfully connecting me to marbling. I was compelled to know more about this art form. So, I bought the book and yes, the rest is history. I have many more stories to add - stories about what it was like to try to learn this art initially without an outer teacher. Stories of early failures of my marbling creations and of marbling classes and the story of how I got my business name, De Anna Su Studios. Stories I'd love to tell you while we create marbled art together someday. What held constant through all of that learning was my curiosity, my persistence, my encouragement from friends, family and students, my love of seeing the endless color combinations and patterns and my feeling of support from an unseen world as well as all the other artists who know this art form. Marbling was and continues to be just plain fun and joyful! Diane gives special credit to her outer teachers who encouraged her in those learning years, especially in the early 1990's when she was giving demonstrations at bookstores like "Books, Music and More" and "Little Professor Bookstore". Teachers like Ilene and Conrad Satala, Galen Berry, Diane Maurer Mathieson and the marbling artists who published "Ink and Gall" and "Marbling Bath". |
The Business -
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Demonstrating the art of marbling as well as offering workshops to the public was an early part of this business. Marbled papers used in stationery packets and greeting cards helped people appreciate the uniqueness and the beauty of this art. "Customers
would purchase cards to frame and keep for themselves, telling me they were just too beautiful to give away". After Diane participated in the American Craft Council wholesale/retail show in Chicago in 1999 her business took off in new directions. Although most buyers at that show purchased the greeting card and stationery packets, she had encouraging interest for her framed collage pieces in the Geisha series. Diane's signature style for her collage pieces is two dimensional instead of flat surface under glass. Her hand- marbled paper and fabric is used on hand-cut pieces and assembled like a puzzle. Hand-marbled silk scarves are the newest addition to her artistic creations. Art to Wear! "Each piece of silk goes through a multi-step process before the finished product is offered for sale. It is important to me that each scarf is a unique piece of art to wear. No two are exactly alike. The patterns and colors reflect beauty and artistic excellence by being marbled on both sides. The colors are dye set and will not bleed when washed. Most importantly, the wearer feels the beauty of the patterns and colors and the touch of softness and luxuriousness. All are easy care, hand washable." Diane's new studio was built in 2011 to serve as her space for creating new works of art as well as teaching marbling workshops. Previously, Diane had a marbling studio for her personal creations and rented space for meeting customers and teaching workshops, hence the plural in her business name DeAnna Su Studios. "I really love spending the extra time creating and teaching instead of traveling and my customers love the easy access of ground level entrance." |