Diane Quick, a long-time Harford Artists Association member, has her own particular brand of “giving back” to local veterans: she will paint his or her portrait at no charge.
Portraits, Diane believes, provide the subject with a powerful insight into how the world perceives him or her. Diane worries that veterans, especially those who have been wounded physically or mentally, return home with an altered self-image and struggle to understand how they fit into a new life.
“Sometimes our service people come back with PTSD or physical disabilities. They are at a time of life when they don’t see themselves as others see them. Other people see their value and worth, but sometimes they struggle,” says Diane.
She hopes that an original painting will help in some way to restore a veteran’s sense of self and identity. She will also paint from photos in honor of deceased veterans.
When asked what inspired her to make this offer, she shrugs: “The veterans have given to us. Not everything has to be done for money.”
Drawn to portraits
Her artist roots date to the 1960s, when she attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art: “At that point, my life’s ambition was to go to Greenwich Village and be a street artist.” Though a need to support herself pushed her to commercial art, she remained intrigued with portraiture.
“Every person has a unique look that is fun,” she says, admitting that she studies others while chatting with them. “I look at your eyes, your nose and think how I would shadow it and mix colors. Sometimes people’s faces are a glimpse of their personality.”
Retirement now has allowed Diane to indulge in one of her earlier life’s goals. She is frequently seen on the streets during Girls Night Out sharing her art as well as playing the mandolin. In Bel Air, she has finally fulfilled her dream of street artistry.
