Bio

Dianna Smith is a Tauranga based artist, recently becoming a permanent artist-in-residence at The Incubator Villa Studios in the Historic Village.

Dianna has been painting and exploring a variety of art forms for as long as she can remember. She turned her passion for art into a full-time career in 2025.

She primarily works with oil paints, drawn to their silky texture and the way they blend effortlessly to create realistic imagery. She develops depth in her work by building up multiple layers of paint. Dianna is also inspired by natural lighting, such as morning light streaming through a window, which creates warmth, shadows, and subtle reflections across her subjects.

Her work is often guided by a sense of stillness. She is drawn to quiet, fleeting moments, patiently waiting for a scene to capture her attention and serve as a reference for her paintings.