Born in St. Augustine, FL, Diana Patterson is the first of four daughters born to Robert "Jack" Mier and Pearl Pringle Mier. Earlier Mier families were Catholic and through the records of the church, the family's ancestry was traced to the 1400's to the southern tip of Spain.

Moving from St. Augustine in the early 1800's, Diana's great grandparents came to Palm Valley, then a small settlement nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intra-Coastal Waterway north of St. Augustine. They built the first "Mier" house just a few hundred feet from where her grandparents later built the "big house" where Diana was brought after her birth.

 

Diana's maternal grandparents were cattle ranchers south of St. Augustine. As a young woman, her mother, along with her mother's parents and four brothers, drove cattle throughout Florida.

 

Diana's rural upbringing inspired an enormous appreciation for her natural environment. The water, plants, trees, animals, nature and flowers in her art attest that she would rather be outside than in. She had a gift for drawing at an early age. Her talent grew when she began to explore and add other mediums. As a self-taught artist, she praises her Maker for giving her these gifts and takes great JOY in sharing them.

 

Diana and Pat moved from her "hometown" Palm Valley to a very rural area of St. Augustine where they've built a new "retirement" home complete with lake, chickens, ducks, and a large garden.  That will satisfy two of their passions - gardening and fishing.  Pat gifted Diana with a dedicated art studio overlooking the lake where Diana will draw much inspiration. Another source of encouragement and inspiration are the hugs and laughter of seven beautiful grandchildren.