Page 32 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2018

ARTS quality time
Looking for a way to spend more time together, Diane Cox encouraged her husband, Michael, to join her in her art studio one day. “I told her I was going to paint a skull,” says Michael. And, as she remembers it, Diane rolled her eyes. Since then, Michael has refined his skull art and now his pieces are being sold in a New Orleans art gallery while Diane is continuing to develop her artistic skills working in numerous mediums.
Diane, a trauma nurse and flight commander for Keesler Air Force Base’s emergency department, has always enjoyed painting. Michael, a self-proclaimed jack- of-all-trades who works as a pawnbroker at Biloxi Pawn, has always been artistic and worked for many years as a jewelry designer. His line of silk corded and Swarovski crystal lariats is successful in retail and specialty gift stores across the country.
Diane took a break from her love of art while training to become a nurse and starting her military career, but after a decade-long hiatus, she decided to pick up her paintbrush again and return to the studio. “I dove into oil and watercolors and really dabbled in everything,” she said. “The Internet has afforded us opportunities to take online classes, and I’ve gone on art retreats with some of my favorite artists.”
Her mediums vary, and she enjoys “jumping around” from different subjects and finds that she often gets bored when
she spends too long on one particular focus. From whimsical to realism, her artwork is an enjoyable hobby for her after the stress of her intense nursing position.
for Each Art Other
story by Alexis Williams photos courtesy of Diane and Michael Cox
32 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • February 2018 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
A shared interest in art has made Michael and Diane Cox closer as a couple.