Theresa Kaye Divin is a native Texas artist, who through her oil paintings, reaches deep within her spiritual soul to produce her Art of Nature. Through many trials and setbacks in her life, Divin persevered by finding comfort in her paintings. Originally, she painted for herself, feeling that her paintings were an extension of her private self. As time progressed, many influential people in her life “saw them and said I needed to get them in a place to share with the world.”
Divin was first inspired by early memories of her mom working on crafts, sewing, and painting. Her father, now retired, was an aero space engineer, cartoon artist and musician. She believes that her determination to succeed can be attributed to her father because “if he doesn’t understand something, he will break the problem down and always figure it out.” Because of her determination and support from those closest to her, she found the peace to share with others. Her professional inspiration came from Dalhart Windberg, Bob Ross, and Thomas Kinkade. She was able to relate to Windberg’s “soft and healing” paintings.
Throughout her early adulthood life, she became a mother of four children while experiencing a tumultuous marriage. She didn’t want to be away from her children, so she took a position as a teacher in a daycare center. She began painting car- toons on the walls and the children loved watching her. The smiles on their faces were greatly appreciated by her. She also was a co teacher working in crisis intervention with special needs students in the public school system. She would always volunteer to construct the stage props for productions and decorated walls using free hand drawing and chalk. In addition, she became a professional cake decorator and was able to produce free hand drawings on her cakes.
Things seemed to be going well and then many life-changing events occurred. She underwent lumbar surgery. Just seven weeks after the surgery she was in a major car accident. At this time she was shocked to learn she had Systemic Lupus. She had to stop working with the children she loved so much, due to the chronic pain. All of those events, including the loss of her mother to cancer, were events that could have caused her to shut down. Instead, she became very strong in her faith as she experienced one miracle after another. Through all of the pain, her only escape was her painting. “There was always my brush, canvas, and paint to rely on. When I paint, I go into my own fantasy; a place where there is beauty, peace, and a sense of healing tranquility. Every painting I have done has a bit of myself in it.”
Divin’s art is a reflection of her soul. She has not traveled to the places she depicts. She paints what she imagines and feels. The peace and tranquility of nature are recurring themes in her art.
Today, Divin resides in Georgetown, Texas with family and continues to find strength and spiritual inspiration in her art. Because of everything she has endured, she is paying it forward. In addition to her mother dying of cancer her mother also had Lupus. Her daughter, and many of her dear friends have been diagnosed with Lupus, as well. She is going to donate 15% of her profits from the reproduction proceeds of the “Miracle of the Grotto” to the Lupus Foundation of America and the Cancer Foundation.
More information about the “Miracle of the Grotto” can be found on her website at The Grotto.