Fabulous Guest Speaker Diana Gessler

Diana 

One of Diana's Books

Thanks to Cindy, the Pieces were fortunate enough to have a talented, witty and informative guest yesterday, Diana Hollingsworth Gessler. Diana is the author of the highly successful series of hand illustrated travel journals about Charleston, California, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.. We also found out today that because of her beautiful journals Diana was invited by the Sampoerna family to do a privately commissioned work about the journey, over several generations of the Sampoernas, from impoverished immigrants from China to the third richest family in Indonesia.

Diana shared the story of her life so far: her childhood as an Air Force brat, attending The Ringling School of art, and her long career in New York City in many art-related fields. She was such a successful, busy woman she didn't have the time she would have liked to devote to painting. While on vacation she decided to keep a journal and sketch in it. That was the beginning of her love affair with illustrated journaling.
Diana was full of information on how to adapt your art to your life no matter where it takes you. She has developed her journals into works of art. She is an accomplished watercolor and oil painter who is represented by The Shaw Gallery in Naples, Fl.
Diana teaches Journaling Workshops and has developed a wonderful "Sampler" to help you get started. She has also put together a kit that contains everything you need. They are available on her website. She has also been asked by Artful Gatherings to develop an online six-week course called "Fantasy Journaling Charleston" which will be available online in June.

A rapt audience

Cindy, Kathy and Carmen were lucky enough to take her Workshop and have become sketching fools who cannot say enough about how wonderful the experience was in so many ways.

Thanks so much for a wonderful day, Diana.
www.dianagessler.com
www.shawgallery.com
diana@dianagessler.com