Diana Bryer paints the people and rich history of Northern New Mexico from her studio in the Española Valley. For her unique art, she draws on the elements of folk art, medieval tapestries, Indian and Persian miniatures, and Japanese woodblock prints to create her own intricate story-telling canvases. Her works have visual charm and the universal power of myth and magic.

The artist honed her skills through years of painting. Born in Los Angeles, Bryer attended Chouinard Art School and the Art Center College of Design and had five one-woman shows of her paintings before she was 25. During her early career, she owned an antique shop and successful stained glass studio with her first husband, creating designs for the rich and famous in Hollywood.

Moving to northern New Mexico in 1977, she found her place in a traditional rural community where customs reflect the centuries-old life of the Spanish settlements in the region. One aspect of life there that continues to intrigue her are the people of Jewish descent whose ancestors fled the Spanish Inquisition to settle in the area and who retain elements of Judaism in their religion today.

"We are all one family, " says Bryer, fascinated by the ways in which different peoples' histories are interwoven. For example, her painting " Rosa de Castilla," includes a yellow rose that grows in northern New Mexico and is said to have been brought by Spanish settlers in the 17th century. The rose was in use by Sephardic Jews and others in Spain as a medicinal remedy and was carried in sacred processions. Her painting beautifully depicts the rose and the romantic stone castles found in Castille, Spain, where there was a strong Jewish settlement before the Inquisition.

Bryer's deep love for nature provides the inspiration for much of her work and she says of her painting of Adam and Eve in The Garden, "This garden is our world. I want to make people think differently about how they use its resources. We need to remember that all living things are here for a purpose and that we are but stewards to nurture and protect."

In back roads New Mexico, Bryer has found her own colorful Eden. That Eden is populated by the world's animals - both real and mythological - which Bryer paints with love. Coyotes, sheep, deer, cats, horses, eagles and unicorns interact with people in benign ways, sharing the joy of life. Bryer's "Peaceable Kingdom" is filled with creatures in harmony with their universe.

Color, design and originality are Diana Bryer's forte. Her paintings are framed with lively decorative borders that make their own statement. The artist's style - call it sophisticated folk art in the manner of Rousseau - has found collectors worldwide and an avid following of those who love her work, filled as it is with imagination, history, color and consummate skill.