29 Oct Artist Spotlights: The Elegance of Form: Desert Flowers as Self-Portraits: Dyana Hesson Shares Her Strength

Dyana Hesson learned about the American Women Artists (AWA) in 2015 when a friend urged her to join. Since then, she’s served on the board and has been a featured speaker at symposiums. “Until my association with the organization,” she says, “I was not aware of how much women were underrepresented in museum collections across the country. I am committed to uplifting and encouraging women in the arts, and have treasured the friendships and opportunities the organization has provided to me.”

Her influence and participation in the AWA caught our editor’s attention, and we wanted to learn more about her vibrant, bold works that shimmer with the sensation of the desert at dusk.

Q: Tell us about your training, the mediums you work in, and how you developed your unmistakable style.

DH: I fell in love with oil painting back in 1989 under the watchful eye of Henry Schoebel at Arizona State University. I work in many thin layers from the bottom up to achieve a clean, smooth surface. There is very little evidence of brushwork in my final pieces, which suits my aesthetic. As a collector, however, I love painterly work. A surface that was not labored over is a miracle of skill to me. But I would have a very hard time leaving an unpolished brush mark alone; that’s just not me.

The Space In-Between | Oil on Canvas | 36 x 48 inches

As for other mediums, I really enjoy storytelling with words and film. When I’ve learned something new about wild plants and wild places, I feel compelled to share it, to archive it in some way. My paintings, stories, and short films all serve that purpose. I think good art leaves you with a feeling that takes up residence in your soul.

Q: You take on some very large canvases and compositions. What draws you to working at that scale?

DH: I prefer working on a large scale. In recent years, I’ve been adding more information to my canvases, and the work is taking longer. I definitely need more real estate to say what I’m trying to say with my brush. I’m working on two 40-by-80-inch canvases right now — physically taxing, but rewarding. I also enjoy the sweet spot of 40 by 30 inches, a canvas that can be rotated and handled easily while still commanding attention once framed and installed. I create a few small works a year; it’s a nice change for my brain.

Q: Why does the Arizona desert figure so prominently in your work?

DH: Wild plants and wild places chose me. From a very young age, I have felt most myself outdoors in nature. I grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, roaming free in the red dirt and under the pines. When I moved to Arizona in the late ’80s, I was a stranger to the land, and it took some time to get to know my new friend, the desert. But slowly, the beauty of the Sonoran Desert came into sharp focus.

Going Up | Oil on Canvas | 60 x 30 inche

I think looking closely at flowers and plants is like taking a small bite from a large buffet. The Southwest landscape is vast, and views can seem infinite, complex, and unattainable. So it has to start with an adventure. When you put on boots and head into the land, you’ve taken the first bite. The next bite is a discovery. If I can understand the light and shapes dancing around in a wild cactus flower, then maybe the landscape will feel more attainable. That is what my work has done in my life — it has given me perspective about the natural world.

My home and studio is on the edge of the Tonto National Forest, near the Salt River. I am on a mission to understand and protect it and the many wild places in the West that I have grown to love.

Q: What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

DH: A writer, Wolf Schneider, was interviewing me a few years back, and as we were discussing my work, she took a beat and said, “There is real strength in your work, Dyana. These flowers and plants stand boldly in the landscape, do you ever think of them as self-portraits?” That pierced my heart. I had never considered that, and suddenly something wonderful clicked in my brain. I felt empowered and strong, and a new surge of self-confidence washed over me.

She gave me a gift. I spend my days looking for ways to give that gift to other artists in my world.

Q: What’s next on your to-do list?

DH: I hope to hunt down every native bloom in Arizona, and, in so doing, gain a deeper understanding about the natural world. Those canvases and their stories will be the subject of my next book. Wyoming has also become my muse, and I’m enjoying that creative adventure as well. I’m also creating a new presentation for the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale on January 28, focused on some recent discoveries that have become the subjects of new work. So many stories to tell and paint! To learn more, visit dyanahesson.com.