January 28, 1998
Roving artist will paint 'anything, anywhere'
By Garret Leiva
Herald staff writer
For Diane Colombini, art is not something you put on the wall; it is the wall - or perhaps the ceiling, the floor or even the furniture.
"Painting Anything. Anywhere," boldly proclaims the business card of this Long Lake Township artist. And that she does. From mural scenes on concrete buildings to satellite dishes to fuel-oil tanks, Colombini's artwork stretches far beyond the typical canvas medium.
"My card says I'll paint anything, anywhere, and that's the truth," said Colombini, who has an associate's degree in applied arts. "I've studied art all my life and there is hardly anything I wouldn't tackle."
Creating subjects on a large scale, however, remains her artwork of choice. The process of bringing a mural to life involves numerous details, many of which do not even involve paint or brush. Choosing a location, researching the desired subject, making a list of materials and preparing the surface are all necessary steps in the overall picture.
"The details are really the hard part of the job. Once you've gotten past that the actual painting feels like a vacation," said Colombini, a student of art history who considered teaching secondary education before moving to Traverse City three years ago with her husband, Jim.
After all the details are drawn out, the real sketching begins. Using chalk, Colombini creates the outlines of her intended subject before applying any number of stage or masonry paints. Depending on the magnitude of her work and the weather, the painting can take up to two weeks to complete.
An example of this attention to detail can be seen in the vibrant blues and greens - and giant bass - leaping off the side of an outbuilding at Long Lake Resort in Green Lake Township.
Colombini said she created the images for the mural by drawing a picture of what resort owner Martha Mummey saw out of her window. The bass, bursting off the concrete blocks to catch a fisherman's fly, was added to the foreground using a picture from a magazine.
The mural, completed last August, has proven to be a quite a conversation piece for Mummey. "People stop and comment on it all the time," said the resort owner, who came up with the idea for the fish motif.
Colombini's work, however, is not limited to merely murals. Taking brushes and paints inside, she has covered staircases and sink alcoves, ceilings and floors with her artwork. Stenciling, sponging, marbling and faux finishes for furniture are just some of the painting techniques she has perfected.
Unlike most artists who hang their work on a wall, Colombini has also put her art on wheels. Motorcycles and classic cars have been transformed into rolling works of art with an airbrush and a steady hand. Subject matter has included everything from scenic palm trees to flames to even the Grim Reaper. She even put in a bid on a job that called for creating Paul Bunyon's Babe the Blue Ox on the side of a bus. But no one was awarded the job; the owner changed his mind.
For Colombini, it is unimportant whether her art graces the side of a wall or a 1954 Chevy panel truck. What truly matters is the chance to paint - anything, anywhere.
"It is something I've dabbled in all my life and I'm at a point now where I just want to paint all the time," Colombini said. "I'm happiest when I have a paintbrush with some paint on it."