Hi there, I’m Dionna.

I love humans, especially people who want to create, and I’m fascinated by beauty and innovation in all forms.

My Approach:

When people feel loved, they feel joyful. They are free to have fun, to play.

My own sense of love, curiosity, intuition and joy have fueled my work since I started making art as a child and continue to do so today — in both my studio work and the guided workshops I lead.

Music is really important to my creativity.

I create via synesthesia — a sensory response of color and shapes to music — so it’s a very intuitive process. It’s normal for me.

I let the music relax me, inspire me, and take me where I need to go. One of my favorite aspects of my workshops is getting to share my playlists and see how the music affects those in my classes. It’s so fun!

Art filled with life, HUMANITY, joy, imperfection & LOVE … that’s my jam!

My Background (#HUMBLEBRAG)

I began showing my work in 1998 and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art one year later. I’ve shown in several galleries, and have my art spread out all over the country in people’s homes, which brings me tons of joy!

I worked for 17+ years in the graphic design, interior design and art consulting world before making the switch to full-time studio artist in 2011.

I am the co-founder of the Edwardsville Arts Center (c. 1996) which is still a thriving organization today. I love that it is still serving the community, making art and creative learning accessible to the general public and everyday, curious humans.

Like Charles Eames advised, I take my pleasure seriously. When I’m not in the studio, I love to sing or spend time with my husband (another artist) and our son (a wonderful percussionist). We have one cat (Freddie) and one totally goofy dog (Albert).

In 2018, I began leading workshops out of my home-studio as a way to share the healing and expressive freedom of my creative process.

AND… While all of that is beautiful and humbling, the only thing I really care about is inspiring YOU to make art, appreciate art, and keep loving one another!