About Diana Adams

I live on a 2.5 acre lifestyle property in Wanaka a small town in the South Island of New Zealand.  Wanaka is surrounded by stunningly beautiful mountains and lakes. Its natural beauty and access to pristine natural wilderness areas makes it a magnet for visitors from all over the world.

I share my home with my husband and teenage daughter, my dog Baxter and 5 speckled hens. I have a large vegetable garden and a swimming pond that we built recently. When I’m not painting I can usually be found in the garden.  I also spend as much time as possible up in the mountains and wild areas hiking and mountain running.

Wanaka was my choice of a place to live because of the easy access to those wild places I crave. Places away from sounds, activities and stresses of the modern world. Away from the comfort and safety of our modern homes. These are the places in my dreams, the places that link humanity across time, space, and culture.

My art is an exploration of the wild places, the majestic beauty but also the imminent danger. Places we can only visit briefly but hope to hold onto when we return to the comfort and safety of home.

Interview from the Wanaka Sun

Click here to read an article written by the Wanaka Sun June 2020

My Early life

I grew up in on a flower farm outside of Christchurch NZ with my parents and two brothers.  My formative years were spent on the farm helping my parents with the flowers and bulbs. I learnt early that art was my passion and a teacher at primary school who was also a potter encouraged my early creations.

I continued art through school but chose to study linguistics and landscape architecture at university.  After working for a few short years as a landscape architect I succumbed to my need to paint. While training for a long distance cycle event I found a gallery who took a chance and gave me my first solo show. That was Little River Gallery, Banks Peninsula in 2000.  After that I became a full time artist and have exhibited in many galleries across New Zealand and sent artworks all over the world.

More About me…

  • When I was twelve I won the school athletics cup 
  • I love dark chocolate
  • I took up whitewater kayaking at university but have a fear of drowning
  • I love, love, love my dog
  • I met my husband rock climbing (after I gave up kayaking for fear of drowning)
  • One of my favourite subjects at University was Russian literature
  • I recently turned 50 and ran a 52km off road ultramarathon to celebrate
  • I also had a big dress up party with the theme of “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” (one of my favourite films)
  • I’m a very quiet and private person but I value my friendships enormously
  • I am passionate about the environment and care deeply about degradation caused by human activities
  • I studied for a post graduate diploma in art and creativity in 2014 and afterwards created an artwork under the name of Diana Iseli-Adams that was accepted for the finals of the Wallace art awards, it is now part of the Wallace art collection