28 Feb 2011 ‘Art is a reminder … God is still in charge’

Diane Henson started Henson Hill Designs about four years ago with virtually no prior experience in art. She has since become a regular merchant at Central Arkansas events like Dazzle Daze and Holiday House.

Her work all began with gifts she made. Thrilled recipients asked where the items came from, and she ended up making more artwork for additional gifts. Diane said her work kept accelerating. Soon after beginning, she had her first show at Dazzle Daze, an annual holiday shopping event benefitting Conway Regional Health System.

“Most of my stuff is one of a kind. If you see it and like it, you’d better buy it,” because there will not likely be another one, she said.

Diane started doing three shows a year, at the same time she was teaching full-time in the Conway School District. Last year, she retired from that job and began teaching full-time at Hendrix College in the kinesiology department.

Her home décor designs feature earth tones, tile mosaics, stones, crosses and Bible verses. She said her large pieces are often inspired by prayer and tend to have symbolic meanings.

Diane said it is not unusual for her to create a piece that will be passed up by many people, only to be purchased by someone who was very drawn to it.

“Art is a reminder, through someone else’s hands … that God is still in charge,” she said.

In addition to a wide variety of wall hangings and similar home décor items, Diane has created Riley’s Renewal, a line of clay sculptures on decorative bottles.

The line is named in honor of Riley Townsell, daughter of Mayor Tab and Donna Townsell of Conway. Riley was a patient at Arkansas Children’s Hospital a few years ago. The clay sculptures depict Riley in four different scenarios – flying a kite, playing dress-up, saying her prayers and dancing like a ballerina. On the back of each one is a simple child’s prayer listing actual things Riley is thankful for, including Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Any donations made beyond the cost of the materials used in making the bottles will go to the hospital.

Over the space of about six months in 2010, Diane completed a large piece for her church, One Church in Downtown Conway. The piece includes a 6-foot mosaic cross, a background of tiled glass and stucco framed in cedar beams and a functioning waterfall. It also involves many details that hold special meaning. Diane said the idea for the piece came to her in sleep.

The cross, covered in a clear glass mosaic on the front and a colored glass mosaic on the sides, has a scripture written on its surface that has special significance to the newly established church. Diane considered every detail – even ones that no one would see. She allowed children in the church to write their names on stones and place them in the well of the waterfall.

She noted several churches took interest in her pieces at shows in the past, but they wanted larger pieces. First Baptist Church at Dardanelle has a large piece by her in its building, she said.

“I am very honored that (God) has allowed me to use my hands to do this art,” she said. “I had one art class at the University of Central Arkansas, and my ashtray looked worse than anybody’s.”

Diane said One Church is taking several missionary trips this year, and she will send her artwork as gifts. Church members will travel to Florida, Brazil and Haiti, she said.

“We really are a missionary church. That’s our goal, to share the gospel with everybody, and in a fun way,” she said.

In the coming year, Diane plans to start a line of painted apparel featuring scripture, “so people can wear the Lord’s Word where they go,” she said.

She has also been working a lot with clay lately.

“I’m trying to stay as close to the earth as I can – anything to give God the glory,” she said.