Awarded Eminent Pastellist status by the International Association of Pastel Societies in 2019 and Pastellist of the Year in 2018 by the Australian Pastel Society, Lyn Diefenbach is a true master of the medium. We caught up with Lyn over lunch at a recent four-day pastel portrait and landscape workshop in Coolangatta to find out about what makes her tick and discover the importance she places on having a creative outlet.
You said you paint even while you are on holiday. What compels you to do what you do?
I didn’t have a choice! I grew up with a family heritage of artists and craftspeople and I used to stand in front of Great Aunt Elsie’s work and say “I’m going to be an artist like Great Aunt Elsie one day!” and that’s all I ever set out to be. I was made to paint and I’m doing what I was made to do.
Did you have instruction?
No, I didn’t have any instruction until much later on. Because art was part of the family, I just did it. In grade six, I was saving all my money and going and buying oil paints! I’ve read Richard Schmid’s book “Alla Prima” many times. I took on his philosophy of line, value, colour, edge and suddenly understood what I was looking for. It was quite remarkable.
You also said you have hundreds of ideas still to be painted. What inspires you and how do you choose what to do next?
I have a number of series on the go. My very own private series is ‘Reflections on a Journey’ and it’s my journey physically, spiritually and emotionally. I’m adding to it every year and it’s all about me – things I really, really want to paint. And I have other series’ going, like mediaeval tapestries behind still life, and I’m adding to them too. The florals are my income earner - whilst they’re still an expression of who I am and what I delight in, they are done more specifically for earning an income. The others are more about my story.
Why do you think it so important to make time for a creative retreat like this one?
It’s absolutely essential to make creative time – for anyone – because creativity is part of the make-up of being human. If you cut it out, it short-circuits your soul. Even for those people who don’t perceive of themselves as being artistic, they can still be creative in some way.
I was demonstrating at the “100 years of Pastel in China” convention in 2019 and at the end of my presentation someone asked: “Why are your artists all old?” I thought about this and needed to answer it. I stood up and said “Unlike your culture, where art, culture and anything creative is a very important part of your society, within Australia our schools are actively getting rid of anything creative. They’re getting rid of music, they’re getting rid of art and focussing on maths, science and sports. People have to wait until they retire until they take their passion.”
Then I thought further about this. The masters teach art to children in primary schools in China – not just anyone – we’re short-changing our children and any wonder why we have mental health issues. It doesn’t have to be about making it a career and earning money, although that’s possible with a lot of hard work. It’s about having something in your life that allows you to escape from all that high pressure stuff and to sit quietly and ‘fiddle and diddle’. In the case of children it’s about training the whole child - exploring all avenues of being human.
When your students complete a workshop what’s the first thing they should do when they get home?
Do some more! Don’t let the inspiration you’ve had lapse. Make it a habit because if you’ve formed a habit, you miss it when you don’t do it. It’s so easy to get side tracked and the longer you leave it to pick up that pastel again the harder it becomes and the more you lose confidence.
What would you say to someone who feels they are ‘too beginner’ to attend your workshops?
Baby steps! Everything starts from somewhere. I took baby steps a long time ago and then took bigger steps. Always remember that whatever level you’re at, you’ve got to enjoy that level knowing that with the next painting and the next bit of experience you’re going to get better. It’s all about easel miles. It’s not much use having talent without investing some effort. Hopefully I will give you the good information to start with and you won’t have to correct bad habits.
Where will we see you next?
I will be in Sydney presenting a two-day Florals in Pastel workshop with Artable at Ermaboo Artist’s Environment Terry Hills on August 28 and 29 – I hope to see you there!