(From left) Hen Hayven; Appalachian Grace & Queen Ann’s Lace; and Cobalt Canon. Tania Dirks, artist
By Gina Malone
Tania Dirks has it on tape. At age 2, she was recorded professing her intention to become a “finger painter” when she grew up. The longing—if not the method—for creating stayed with her throughout high school and at the Rhode Island School of Design where she began her studies in Illustration, switching to Painting in her senior year. “My painting thesis was about postmodern portraits of my roommates, Diet Coke, cigarettes and the general artsy ‘vibe’ of the late 1990s,” she says.
Sunflower Sonnet. Tania Dirks, artist
After graduation, the places that drew her peers at the time were Los Angeles and NYC. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, she chose NYC. “I landed a great tiny apartment in the East Village of Manhattan as the superintendent of the building,” she says. She was, in fact, sweeping the sidewalk in front of her building (one of her duties as super) when she met her future husband Greg who had just got out of the Army and was seeing the sights in New York with friends. The two would marry eight years later.
In the meantime, Dirks worked at an art publishing house in SoHo, climbing the ladder from studio artist to art director. She continues to do freelance work for the company today.
Married, she and Greg moved to Cold Spring, NY, where they welcomed a son, Ranger. “It was a lovely place to live, with accessibility to everything, and a large mountain range beside the river and Fahnestock State Park to shelter us from the hustle and bustle of urban life,” she says. Teaching “Paint and Sip” classes as a way to fundraise for Ranger’s school introduced her to the world of teaching art to others, and more opportunities followed. “I taught monthly paint and drawing classes along with my full-time job as director of project development for a graphic design company that created non-profit fundraising campaigns,” she says. “I did not like the job, because it did not come naturally and I had a constant pit in my stomach from the pressure of it all.”
When the pandemic hit, Dirks found herself not creating for the first time in a long while. Her husband suggested they move to his native Tennessee. Although she remembers being nervous about the relocation, she admits, “This changed everything for me as a human and an artist.”
Eventide Glory. Tania Dirks, artist
One of the first sights that met her eyes when they reached eastern TN was a field with a hay bale. To her, it was a beautiful sculpture. “I had never seen one round before,” she says. “I thought it only came in rectangles and in piles in France like the ones Monet painted.” She was smitten. “The southern landscape completely changed me and my artmaking,” she says. “I just want to capture the movement and the drama I see. I can’t react fast enough and I continue to look to find more colors to reflect what I feel when I see each day.” Dirks’ paintings of hay bales have proved popular, winning awards and selling consistently. “I really do love those large lumps of hay,” she says.
In TN and in Asheville, she continues teaching all levels of painting. “Tania’s paintings radiate a joyful vibrancy that feels inseparable from who she is,” says Kristen Edge, owner of ArtPlay. “What makes Tania especially remarkable, in my opinion, is her ability to pair exceptional talent with deep relatability. While she is undeniably skilled, she teaches in a way that is welcoming, intuitive and genuinely beginner-friendly—meeting each person exactly where they are. Her Colorscapes workshops at ArtPlay are consistently well-loved, with many students returning again and again to continue learning with her.”
In November, Dirks will be the teaching artist for ArtPlay’s first Art Retreat in the River Arts District. “It will be a joyful, immersive experience—welcoming both visitors and locals to spend a few vibrant days exploring color, creativity, learning and community together,” says Edge.
Milkweed Minuet. Tania Dirks, artist
Lou Webb has purchased more than a dozen paintings by Dirks. “Tania’s use of brilliant colors makes her paintings come to life with a style and flair all her own,” Webb says. “She is able to immerse her personality into each brushstroke. She can create a piece of art that is unique, entertaining and memorable. Her work is an inspiration to me.”
Dirks works in acrylics for the immediate color gratification she gets and because she can work without waiting for paint to dry. “I usually over-exaggerate the color and mood of the landscape to reflect the mood and feeling I have,” she says.
She paints because she feels compelled to do so. “I do feel strongly that making art is a part of self-care and that is the main reason I love to teach this, because I believe it is good for our health,” she says. “I really want to see a neon pink version of a hay bale or a completely purple sky because I can see it that way and to express my love of this area and the gift it has given me to exhale and smile.”
Learn more at TaniaDirksArtist.com. Follow on Facebook at Tania Dirks (Artist) and on Instagram @tdirks_artist. Her work is available locally at Molly Courcelle Fine Art, Studio 2A in The Wedge, 129 Roberts Street. An exhibition, Wildflowers, opens June 6, from 5–7 p.m. at Molly Courcelle Fine Art.
