Artist Spotlight: Diane Tessman of Tessman Textiles

Artist Spotlight:  Diane Tessman

by Kim Carr

As I walked up to the old brick building, the Gateway Arch towered on the horizon. It was warm for February—near seventy degrees. Kids played kickball in a side yard across the street where purple crocus were already in bloom. The next door neighbor was in his backyard clearing brush from his gardens. The day was a welcomed reprieve from the Missouri winter.

The door to the old building stood open as folks such as I filed in to attend a photography workshop. Little did I realize I was going to be treated to time with Best of Missouri Hands artist, Diane Tessman of Tessman Textiles. This was the home of Diane Tessman and her husband Garry McMichael, noted St. Louis photographer. I took advantage of my time in their home by visiting with Diane on breaks and after the workshop. The first things I noticed as I entered was the natural light as it filtered through the blinds, the huge workspace which was a combination of photography equipment and Diane’s hats…..lots of hats. It made me think of a staging area for some Broadway production. You could easily picture a bunch of ladies coming over for tea and trying on every hat as they oohed and aahed at each other, picking just the right one for this outfit or that special event.

I later learned that the main floor is dedicated to workshop and studio space with plenty of room for both artists to stretch their wings and create. The couple resides upstairs, but I would say the majority of time is spent in this great workspace which has huge stained glass windows that provide a whole other element of beauty and atmosphere to the studio. Turns out the brick building was originally built almost 100 years ago as a mortuary which explained the beautiful windows.

Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, hard work was just part of life. Her father worked for the Hwy. Department while her mother was a weaver. As a child, Diane remembers her mother handing her and her sister, Sharon, a Sears Catalog. They were able to pick out any dress, then their mother would create her own patterns to match the dress’ in the catalog. By the age of 7 or 8, Diane started sewing and entering competitions with her local 4H club. Even as a child, Diane was fascinated by colors. She would match and arrange veggies to make a nice presentation along side the highway in a little farm stand where she helped sell produce that the family raised on their land.

About 35 years ago, Diane started making teddy bears which evolved into the making of clothes for the little creatures. It is only natural that every well-dressed bear has a custom hat to match! And thus, a hat-maker was born. Over the years, Diane has experimented with different styles, patterns, and materials, so her hats are ever evolving. Currently, she is feverishly working on a new line of hats called the “Lydia”. This special line of hats is named after Diane’s Aunt Lydia who celebrated her 103^rd birthday in 2015. Diane has acquired several of her aunt’s old skirts which were hand-sewn back in the 40’s and 50’s. Lydia was a fashion designer and a painter. Diane has taken the old skirts and is tearing them into strips which she then hand-braids. With piles of material in her workroom, pie tins full of assorted buttons for embellishments, boxes full of handmade fiber flowers, Diane sits at her sewing machine creating her exquisite hats that are full of family history and nostalgia. Amazing the difference a hat can make to any outfit. Diane’s creations are for any fun-loving gal who wants to dress any outfit from casual to formal.

Currently Diane is busy tearing, braiding and sewing up a storm in preparation for this year’s show season. Last weekend she introduced her new line of Lydia Hats to the fine folks at the Artists Boutique in Kirkwood. Now with that show under her belt, she is steadily preparing for the Art Fair at Queeny Park April 1-3 and Art in the Park, June 4-5^th. When time allows, she works on new creations to keep the three galleries who carry her work well supplied. Diane sells her work under the name of Tessman Textiles. Both she and her sister Sharon’s work can be found on their website at www.tessmantextile.com  Diane also sells her handiwork at Green Door Gallery in Webster Groves, Missouri Artists On Main in St. Charles and Stone Soup Galleries in Chesterfield. In her down time, Diane enjoys making award ribbons for outdoor art fairs and festivals across the country as well as refinishing furniture.

Over the years, Diane has held a variety of occupations…..sales, real-estate broker and even a masseuse. One thing has remained constant: life as an artist. Diane has been using her hands and imagination to create beautiful works of wearable art almost her entire life. When I asked Diane what advice she might give someone just starting a career in the arts, she laughed and said in her next life she will concentrate more on one subject. Diane said a new artist should concentrate on growing vertically, establish depth and a better understanding of what interests them instead of dabbling in so many areas. Get to the heart of what it is you enjoy.

Diane is a member of the Best of Missouri Hands, the Minnesota Textile Center and the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. She can be reached by visiting one of her upcoming shows or through her website at www.tessmantextiles.com