An Artist and Her Horses: A Magical Evening at the Pierce Street Gallery
By: Tony Mussari
The first time I saw Diane Grant Czajkowski she was nestled between rows of 
American flags. It was a beautiful scene. Her head was down. Her mind was focused. In her hand her fingers held a brush that was guided across a drawing board by impulses from her mind and vibrations from her heart.
Her back was to me, and all that I could see was the contrast of her long brown hair against her white blouse.
Oh yes, there was an invisible sign that read: “Don’t disturb, artist at work.”
Like most videographers, there is an irreverent streak in me. I disobeyed the sign, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It opened a door to a friendship that has been one of the joys of the past three years.
Fast forward to August 9, 2007. At 11 a.m. I turned on the radio to hear Erika Funke interview Diane about her art exhibit. Erika was at the top of her game, and Diane responded with answers that addressed not only the four “W’s’”…she answered, in great detail, the “How” and “So What?” questions as well.
As I listened I thought to myself, this is a woman who loves what she does. This is a woman who cares about what she does. This is a woman who sees beauty in everything around her. This is a woman whose paintings give her life.
Six hours later she would have her moment, and what a moment it was. Surrounded by family, friends and people interested in the arts, Diane held court at the Pierce Street Gallery. It was a wonderful “Meet the Artist” reception attended by caring, interesting, thoughtful people of all ages who came to see Diane’s horses.
Appropriately titled: “The Role of The Mounted Police Officer,” the exhibition featured many of her best
equine paintings.
On every wall there were paintings of horses of all shapes and sizes. There were several paintings of a mounted police officer on his horse. There was a touching painting of a youngster in pigtails looking up at two beautiful horses under the control of one mounted police officer. I 
thought I was looking at the cover of an old Saturday Evening Post. It had that kind of magical quality.
There was a wonderful collage of a horse parade, and there was a brilliant painting of a wild horse that was captivating in every sense of the word.
From what I understand this “Iron Horse” was three years in the making, and it was done with materials produced from acid mine drainage. That’s right. It was a painting done with iron oxide pigment. If ever there was a statement about innovation and creativity, this was it. It demanded everyone’s eyes, and you knew from the first that it was something very special.
As people passed this brilliant stallion, they stood in rapt attention at the image and all that it represented: history, heritage and beauty…wild beauty…untamed beauty…struggling beauty. As I stared at the image, I could see the screeching sounds that filled the 
dust filled air when this magnificent animal struggled with its first bridle.
This is not to say that the three paintings of the mounted police officers that hung on one wall were not stunning in their own right. Described by Diane as a Triptych, the three paintings are totally different, but they blend together. "In Town," "Around Town," and “Down Town” did that beautifully. They exemplify what Diane does best. She captures the power, elegance and alertness of a horse, and she humanizes the painting by documenting the way the mounted policeman and the horse relate to one another.
The horses are big. They are beautiful, and they are graceful. They relate to the mounted police officer in a very special way, and this is the message Diane wants to convey. People should relate to one another in the same way that horse and rider relate to each other.
For more than a generation, Diane has been working with horses. In fact, her grandfather introduced her to horses when she was a child. This was dramatized by a black and white Kodak shot of Diane in her cowgirl regalia. It was placed next to the picture of Diane and Michael of their wedding day. What a way to celebrate an anniversary.
At about 7 p.m. Diane took center stage standing between the Iron
Horse and the collage of the horse show. With dignity and class, she explained her work and she addressed its special quality. As I listened, it occurred to me that this is not only an art exhibit, it is a wonderful lesson in history.
Diane Grant Czajkowski is an artist who is becoming a part of local history. I can’t wait to see what she does with trains, trolleys, coal breakers and the Civil War. If it’s anything like what she did with the mounted police officers, it will be interesting, entertaining, educational and very special.
kitch152@aol.com, tmussari@aol.com
