Diane Given Hayes has lived the last 25 years in the Virgin Islands  where she enjoyed the sea, sky, and sailing (who wouldn't?)  She recently moved to Arizona to be closer to her family, and is looking forward to this new adventure complete with new pallettes & landscapes. 

     Originally from Southern California, the beaches in Baja California, the Arizona deserts, and the California Sierras were favorite camping destinations while growing up. When Diane visited friends on St. Croix in 1987 and she saw the beauty of the ocean, its beaches, and even cactus!  she knew immediately that this is where she would become a full-time artist.

     Diane is a self taught artist - while having a life-long interest in arts & crafts, her college years were spent pursuing a bachelors degree in business administration/marketing from CSU, Chico.  After graduating, Diane workied as an ad designer/graphic artist for a local newspaper,  and later when she moved to St. Croix, she worked as the graphic artist for Caribbean Printing. It was during this time she spent many hours learning to paint with her artist husband, Gabby Hayes. "It was like high school art class every day!" spent exploring and trying new techniques as she developed good composition skills, and a fine eye for detail for which she is now well known.

    From 1987-2012  Diane participated in fundraiser events held for The Women's Coalition, The St George's Botanical Gardens, The Reichold Arts Center, The United Way, Artists for Animals, The Canegata Artshow, and The Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts.

          Diane was the Featured Artist at The Good Hope School   Sixteenth Annual Caribbean Fine Art Exhibit 2003.

In 2007 Diane opened Watch Your Step Art Studio in the historic district of downtown Christiansted, St. Croix

Diane moved to Sierra Vista in 2012 to be closer to family, and has recently retired and is actively painting again!