Diana Monte was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and in the early nineteen seventies her family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was during Monte’s sophomore year in high school that it became apparent that art would be her future. She remembers her art teacher setting up an enormous table in the middle of the classroom loaded with various objects in every shape and size. The students were instructed to sketch from their particular vantage point, with full shading and detail, along with daily drawings from home. From this, Monte had created notebooks full of images from every vantage point. Early on, Monté learned depth perspective, intensity of contrast, light and shadow. These exercises became the revelatory spark of what would become her lifelong passion that would forever influence how Monte views the world around her. These introductory skills instilled keen observations that Monté employs to this day. Some of her earliest canvas works came from this period. After high school, Monte attended the Southwest School of Art in Albuquerque, where instructors introduced students to critical analysis of the classic styles of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet, and more. Monte’s natural ability for fine detail was noticed and praised by her instructors. Instruction received in private classes, where the realism of nature was the primary focus, further enhanced attention to the finer detail of art. She has continued to take a myriad of online courses and workshops to enhance and hone her craft. Monte takes influence from landscape artists, Carl Von Hassler, Betty Sabo and Irene Ricker, among others, as well as many contemporary artists. Monté, using oils as her medium, established her current art studio in 2003, and has focused more on who she is Asan artist. The inspiration for her work is in the breathtaking natural beauty of New Mexico’s mountains, deserts and changes in seasonal weather that creates the kaleidoscope of colors displayed in the southwestern skies. Monte enjoys experimenting with colors and light, embracing their warmth, building upon layers of paint and creating texture. Her paintings truly display a portion of her soul poured out onto a canvas, and invite the viewer to understand what she feels as she paints. Monte has enjoyed instructing weekly personal art classes for over twenty-five years. Some of her pupils have been with her for over ten years and she continues to paint with some of them to this day. She is a 'juried' artist, whose work has shown at the New Mexico State Fair, local Art Studio Tours, Lavender Festival, Encantada Art Exhibition, and several other exhibitions and local galleries. She has amassed a body of work to be most proud. Monte has sold her work more broadly online for several years. Monte currently resides in Los Ranchos, New Mexico, and is married to her husband, John Monte–who is an assistant pastor at a local church. They have two beautiful adult daughters. When Monte is not painting, she spends her time gardening and is a Director of Women’s Ministry overseeing various events at one of the church campuses.