November 13 1995

ARTICLE TOOLS

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People who see Diane Renis's work frequently feel that God has spoken directly to them. Children recovering from surgery, New Age artists on Gallery Row, and strangers struggling with life decisions-all have told the 34-year-old, Virginia-based artist that her art has touched them profoundly at a spiritual level.

In the pediatric intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, images of exotic birds of paradise, a little girl with a teddy bear in a hot-air balloon collecting stars, heavenly castles, and dancing princesses fill the vision of recuperating children. The explosion of color and the inherent mirth and hope of Renis's four-foot-square acrylic canvas suspended from the ceiling moves many to tears.

The artist's stylized and whimsical illustrations and lithographs are carried by secular frame shops and galleries in three Virginia cities and in Washington, D.C. She has received letters from those moved positively by her art, although others, who don't share her faith, have responded differently. An artist with New Age beliefs told her, "I respect your art, but I'm the total opposite of everything you stand for. I'm your enemy."

The most unusual aspect of Renis's work are the personalized "prophetic" watercolor paintings she creates for individuals. Through prayer and what she knows about the person the piece is commissioned for, she then uses specific symbolism for that person. "I get frequent calls from people for whom I did these paintings telling me of how the message in the painting came true for them," she says. In one painting commissioned by a mother for her daughter, Renis—knowing nothing about the girl's spiritual journey—showed ...