Diane Buster

Since retiring from a career in education, Diane Buster has dedicated herself to painting full time, initially exploring watercolors as a hobby and now focusing on oil to capture the expressive brushwork that defines her style. She works from a loft studio in her mountain log home 10 miles south of Tijeras. 

“I love the textures and feel of oils and leaving the marks of the brushwork, which show the hand of the artist,” she says. She especially enjoys expressing her love of the Southwest through her work, capturing the moods of the day, the effects of weather and the beauty in the mundane.

Diane earned a BFA in studio art and a master’s degree in education from the University of New Mexico. For her undergraduate degree, she studied under influential artists like Harry Nadler and Jane Abrams. Her career in education included serving as the drama director at Sandia High School, which allowed her to blend her artistic eye with lighting and set design, all while continuing to win awards for her paintings in local exhibitions.

A former president of the Rio Grande Art Association (now a lifetime member) and an active member of the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Diane paints daily and frequently participates in prestigious juried shows such as Masterworks and Encantada. Her ultimate goal remains constant: to translate the inherent beauty of the world into the rich, tactile language of oils.