Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Diana Nelson discovered her creativity at a young age – coloring and drawing when she had free time. She honed her skills over time and taught art at Pocahontas County High School for 28 years.
During the COVID-19 pandemic she picked up photography and, after retiring in 2025, she returned to painting with acrylics. She even learned how to mat and frame her own work.
By February of this year, she was a member of the Pocahontas County Artisans Co-op, with work in both the 4th Avenue Gallery in Marlinton and The Shops at Leatherbark at Cass. In May, she juried into Tamarack Marketplace with her photography and now, she has been selected to be part of a gallery show at Tamarack.
“This is my first show with them,” she said. “It’s called ‘Seasons of the Ridge.’ It opens August first and is open through September 27.”
Nelson’s photography will be featured along with several other juried artists in the Tamarack Marketplace gallery in Beckley.
Nelson hopes to soon add some of her paintings.
“I’m working on a series of paintings, hopefully, to jury those in next year,” she said. “You have to have at least six pieces of work [to jury]. I had enough photography, so I did that first.”
Nelson first decided to join the Pocahontas County Artisans Co-op after talking to her former PCHS coworker Courtney Curran, who is also a member.
“I thought that would be kind of a cool thing to do with my photographs,” she said. “Now, I also have a painting down at Marlinton in that gallery.”
Nelson finds it funny that she is now a professional photographer, considering her past with taking pictures.
“I never considered myself a photographer. It’s always been a joke with me and the girls [her twin daughters Haley and Hannah] – if a bad picture was taken, it was me,” she said laughing. “I always joked I wasn’t good at taking pictures.”
But then she picked up her iPhone during the lockdown and started taking pictures outdoors. It was a relaxing way to get out of the house and enjoy her surroundings at the same time.
“I just found that a lot of the pictures I took, I happened to be at the right place at the right time and kind of captured some neat shots,” she said. “It started something that I enjoy doing that I didn’t know I would enjoy.”
The photography has also helped Nelson with her painting. She uses her landscape photos as inspiration for her paintings.
“I hadn’t painted much of anything for a couple of years leading up to retirement,” she said. “Getting these pictures printed and matted and framed, I realized that these are pictures that I also want to paint.”
Nelson paints with slow drying acrylic which allows her to work with the colors more.
“This gives you a happy medium,” she explained. It doesn’t take weeks to dry, but it doesn’t dry immediately. You can really blend and work your colors and work your paint more than the traditional acrylic that dries within ten minutes.”
In addition to participating in the art show at Tamarack and selling her work there and in Pocahontas County, Nelson recently entered the Pocahontas County Arts Council 34th Annual Pioneer Days Art Show and won “Best in Show” with her painting “Back Mountain Sunrise.”
Nelson said she encourages local artists to consider joining both the local artisans co-op and Tamarack Marketplace. Tamarack has four jury sessions – one for each season.
For more information on the jury process, visit tamarackwv.com
