Conversations with Tania Dibbs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania Dibbs

Hi Tania, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was young I harbored a life in the arts as a sort of daydream and possibility. After college I moved to Aspen, a place where it seemed you could more easily chase your dreams. I worked a lot of jobs when I first arrived: cooking, teaching skiing, and as a carpenter, but realized that without committing myself fully my dream life would never happen. I moved into a little tool shed that had no plumbing in order to save on rent so I would have more time for art and eventually developed a portfolio. I desperately wanted to make it as an artist. The shed was my home for years. By trial and error and doggedness, I slowly developed my work, started having shows in galleries and learning the business.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The struggles for an artist are constant and there is no road map. Developing strong art is only one factor in the equation. One has to have an infinite well of determination at the beginning to keep turning over stones in the face of seemingly constant rejection and failure. One has to learn to work alone without supervision, direction, praise or suggestion, being your own arbiter of what is right and what is cool with respect to the artistic decisions you are making. One must be comfortable in the day to day isolation but then be able to speak coherently and confidently about the work in the public sphere, to sell, and to translate the work. An artist has to be comfortable facing an uncertain future and uncertain income. It was not an easy path at the beginning but now I do quite well and have a great life.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
See my latest projects on Instagram at TaniaDibbsArt. All of my seemingly different styles actually have common threads though I continually challenge myself and am always exploring something new. I have paintings in private collections across the United States, Europe, and Australia. I am proud to have forged a nice life doing what I love, proud to have continued artistically exploring and growing when the market pushes you to remain in a recognizable stasis and am grateful to have finally reached a point where I believe most completely in my own artistic voice.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The Covid-19 Crisis did not affect my daily life that much. Artists usually work alone so isolation was not new. In 2020 I developed an empty lot and built my dream studio so was outside a lot anyway, taking a break from the studio and focusing on construction. You can see it on my website or on Google.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://taniadibbs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taniadibbsart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taniadibbsart/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taniadibbs/

Image Credits
Carolina M. Joyce