THE VILLAGES — When Diane Barcelowsky was in grammar school, she had an art assignment to create a collage.
The other children pasted pictures on a poster board.
But Diane, her parents, Al and Lori, said, never did things like the other children.
Diane arranged her pictures into letters, spelling out the word “memory.”
She was always an artist, Lori said, calling art her first love.
At a young age, Diane filled a big book of drawings with clothing designs for birds — everything from wedding gowns to bathing suits for the petite creatures. Her dad, Al, said he gave her free rein on the walls of her bedroom. Diane painted murals, covering the walls in white paint over and over for a fresh canvas.
“I think the wall grew about 2 inches,” Al said with a smile.
Lori said her daughter always thought outside the box.
“She always thought a bit differently and she got rewarded for it,” she said.
After high school, Diane attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. For the past five years, she has been teaching at the Trevor Day School.
Her artwork has been displayed in galleries worldwide and about two years ago, her art hit a new medium — accessories.
After a Sakroots art director saw Diane’s art in a gallery, she reached out to her to see if she could create a print for a line of purses.
In spring 2010, the “One World” print collection was introduced in stores featuring Diane’s artwork and expressing the philosophy that “We all share one world, one dream of peace.”
In Diane’s print, a community of people are seated by a fire near a group of houses, nestled in the backdrop of a peace sign. Around the peace sign is a pattern that Diane said was inspired by “Wycinanki” — Polish folk art paper cutouts.
“(Sakroots) wanted something that symbolized harmony and peace, and I purchased a large piece of paper and just went for it,” Diane said in an email.
“When I work on very detailed patterns, it is a form of meditation for me, so I felt connected to their ideas. I see art as a common language that connects people.”
Sakroots supports The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees Campaign — a cause Diane said she was excited to be part of.
Village of Sabal Chase residents Al and Lori said they were thrilled about the purses but never got a chance to see them in the store until one day this month.
When Diane’s sister spotted them in the Belk department store in La Plaza Grande Shopping Center, she called them to let them know.
Al and Lori made their way to Belk as soon as they could and took pictures of Lori holding several of the bags.
“It was exciting that a company would approach her like that,” said Lori, who now uses one of the purses on a daily basis.
“It’s an opportunity for people to see things that are different from a regular black handbag,” she added. “Not everybody can go to a gallery and have the opportunity to purchase art. This gives them the opportunity to carry
their art.”
Diane said she was happy with the chance to reach so many people through her artwork. She said the company has added other items to the line of artwork-inspired accessories, including shoes and tablet computer cases.
“I was pretty impressed that they could even turn a drawing into a bag,” she said. “It’s always exciting to see how they use the design.”
Al and Lori said they are extremely proud of Diane and her success, both in her artwork and her teaching.
“What she’s accomplished so far in her life is just unbelievable,” Al said. “You go to church and you see somebody with a bag and you say ‘Hey, that’s my daughter’s bag.’ Being a parent and seeing that, it just gives you a lump in your throat. It makes you feel very, very proud.”
Tatiana Quiroga is a reporter with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9013, or at tatiana.quiroga@thevillages media.com.
Email to a friend
Print this page
