Featured Artist: Diane Pascual

San Francisco-based artist, Diane Pascual’s art reflects a freedom of creative expression that brings the 70’s forward to modern day. Diane’s spirited collection contains bold and colorful works with a carefree nod towards the retro.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Diane at Redbubble’s 10th birthday event. She spent the day teaching us about hand-lettering and sharing her passion for art. Read on to find out more about her personal journey as an artist.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a dancer and then I discovered creating art and I quickly abandoned that dream!

What are your weapons of choice?

Pentel Pocket Brush pen, Moleskine sketchbook, and Photoshop!

Describe your work in 12 words or less.

Neon, Pastel, Colorful, Boho, Modern Hippie meets Coachella Festival Goer, Mystical and Dreamy.

Name one thing you cannot live without.

Coffee.

If you were to eliminate one thing from your schedule, what would it be?

Sleep! Sleep really gets in the way from doing everything I want! I usually quit working when I have to surrender to sleep! (Jokingly! Sleep is very important).

Please share the story behind your favorite artwork on Redbubble.

“Aloha Beaches” and “As Free as the Ocean” are recent creations, it was the first time I stepped away from just doing digital tie-dye patterns and started experimenting with beach and surf inspired digital paintings. And I started integrating hand lettering that I actually was happy with!

Share something you think everyone should read or listen to (blog, book, podcast, etc)?

Music! Music that makes you feel good or inspires you while you work. Books by Guy Kawasaki, blogs on social media and promotion, “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert and “Mastery” by Robert Greene

What art do you most identify with?

I love traditional mediums such as oil and watercolor. But also very much love creating work digitally! The idea of creating digital art to look almost traditional or authentic is fun! I definitely love watercolors and draw my inspiration from that. I started off with a graphic design background, abandoned it and studied 2D Animation, so 2D Animation holds such a special place in my heart. But in the end, I came up with a different kind of art that I wanted to make. But I’m still exploring animation.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given as an artist?

Be you, your authentic self and let that shine. Even if your art isn’t what others like, keeping creating the work that you love, and have faith.

What advice would you love to have told yourself five or ten years ago?  

I would tell myself to be more patient! That what I wanted to do back then is now possible because of technology and advancements in tech and art. What I dreamt of doing 10 years ago is possible now. That all roads to lead to one. No matter what path life decides to steer you in, or the different places you go, they all eventually merge into one path.

Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

Having freelanced as a graphic designer and illustrator for many years, I had moments and time in between projects and contracts to take trips and explore my creativity. I took a trip to Vancouver in January of 2016 to visit a good friend and some relatives. I was sitting in cafes and creating new work. I was always thinking about creating but had no time because I had so much client and freelance work. I had stayed for about a week and it got me inspired about creating new work! I started looking at all of my favorite artists online that had shops on Redbubble and thought, “Hey I should do that!”. I had a very inspiring conversation with another artist friend of mine in San Diego who was selling her work on Creative Market and making good passive income. This inspired and sold the idea to me that it was possible to make a living from selling work online. It’s been a year since I set up my shop on Redbubble and I am so glad that I did! Its led to more exposure and I even got invited to teach a hand lettering workshop at Redbubble’s 10th birthday in San Francisco.

What role do you feel artists have in society?

I think artists have the ability to inspire people. As an artist creating is something I love to do. The process of creating art brings me complete joy whether it is personal work or work that I am creating for someone else. It is a great experience starting from nothing and ending up with something that you had no idea that you were going to create. Creating art for me is such a fun and spontaneous act.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our artist community?

I am so inspired by movies! I recently watched Woman in Gold about the Gustav Klimt painting in Austria. Oh, and I love watching Orphan Black! I also definitely get inspired traveling to different places and it ends up becoming a part of my art. I had the opportunity to study landscape painting abroad in Florence in 2013 for a summer and it was the most inspirational time in my life. Real life inspires art.

Support an independent artist. Stop by Diane Pascual’s shop to pick up your favorite boho-inspired favorites!