Daina Deblette Scarola

Nova Scotia, Canada

• visit: www.artbydaina.com
• blog: artbydaina.blogspot.com
• email: daina@artbydaina.com

Daina's love for nature began its roots as a child in northern Ontario town along the Kapuskasing River, far from the ocean. Guided by an artistic and supportive family, she had always been encouraged to pursue her dreams. In 1994 she went on to study at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax. The years following college were spent traveling and photographing her experiences across the Canadian landscape, from coast to coast. Daina was ultimately drawn back to Nova Scotia where her passion for oil painting was born. Primarily self-taught, Daina has continued to develop her skills over the past several years through the exploration of her fascination with nature, the ocean, and the people who are drawn to it.

"Inspiration is easy to find when I open my creativity to the things I love in my life - nature photography, travel and adventure, the beach and ocean, music, and of course my endless daydreams which seem to be the root of all my oil paintings.

My latest series of round surf art paintings pull together all the subjects I've loved painting over the years - flowers, landscapes, figures, textures - combined with my connection to the ocean and nature. Subtle backgrounds are suggested with textured prints on paint or as imprints in gesso - clouds, foliage, waves - using wooden textile print blocks to create this effect, each chosen carefully for its pattern. My paintings resonate a kind of nostalgic vintage art-nouveau twist on the classic pin-up girls and retro cars set against lazy summer beach days. This is the expression and representation of the powerful pull on our heartstrings to the ocean tides, as an experience, a lifestyle, a feeling, a memory, or desire.

The round canvas is symbolic and represents this life as non-linear. It has no boundaries, no corners. We live on a planet whose daily life is controlled and dictated by the sun and moon, and the ocean is the largest most powerful body of water who demands respect and our acknowledgment of the moon's force. The circle of life guides us to where we are supposed to be while we try to figure out where we are. This is where dreams are born through daydreams and reality is what we believe to be real.

Living along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, I am very fortunate to be able to hear the gentle roar of the surf breaking every morning from my bedroom window. I have the freedom to visit the beach every day where my dogs play and I surf or simply gaze out at the ocean for hours. My dream is to share this connection to the ocean with everyone, regardless of where they live on this Earth. I've realized that by combining the subjects I love in a unique way that inspires and excites me, and makes me feel closer to my dreams, I've opened a window to many people enabling them to experience a sense of nostalgia too. And this infuses me with joy, for this is what my art is meant to do…"

Follow Daina on Twitter (@artbydaina)