As a native of Canada, growing up in the prairie flatlands of Saskatchewan, I was surrounded by open space and it became a compulsion to fill up that empty space. I do not define myself as a landscape painter, however that sense of place left an imprint on my imagination and crept into my paintings as surely as though I were a plein air painter. A large white canvas becomes that imaginary space for mark making. My voice is embedded in layers of paint or in the materials of my sculptures.

Now a resident of New Mexico, I live and maintain a studio in Placitas, an environment that is a stimulus, directly or indirectly for my work. I draw ideas from the natural elements, from the light, from the shape and the form of things. My work is an exploration of moments rescued by the flow of time, the real and the imaginary. Art in its many form is a process of discovery and inquiry for me. Each work comes from a personal image, experience or interaction that I interpret using different media. In the past years, I have worked with various media including charcoal, pastel, acrylic and oil. I enjoy experimentation and prefer to challenge myself using different media, mixed media or collage to push the limits of my work.

My collection of work includes painting in oil and mixed media, and steel plate sculpture. The subject matter is a reference to landscape and figurative elements. In my paintings I enjoy building up the surface and use heavy impasto or work with encaustic and paint to create texture. The sculptural works include shapes and mythical figures appropriate for outdoor garden or patio, as well as indoor. They are constructed of steel plate with a natural, painted or patina surface. The natural steel will rust over times, creating an aged appearance.

I obtained my BFA in painting and drawing at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada: in subsequent years I have participated in a number of painting workshops in Canada and New Mexico. My interest in steel plate sculpture began after a workshop at the Taos Institute. I have participated in several local exhibitions as well as showing at the annual Placitas Studio Tour.

—Diane Orchard