Diane Tuckman

Diane Tuckman (1935–2024)^[1] was an American artist. She is known^[2] for her silk painting work and as an author of several books on the subject with Jan Janas. She resided and worked in Lanham, Maryland^[3] in the Greater Washington, D.C. area for many years until her death in 2024.^[4][1]

Diane Tuckman
Born	1935 Egypt
Died	2024 (aged 88–89)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Artist
Known for	Silk painting, author
Website	www.iteachsilkart.com

Tuckman was born in Egypt.^[5]

Early life and work

In an interview with The Washington Free Beacon, Tuckman recalled that while living in Egypt as a child during WWII, "they were shooting Jewish girls in the street…My family and I escaped in 1948 and went to France." Though less harrowing, even in France "it was a very difficult time after the war, with ration tickets and very little housing."^[5] Tuckman moved to the United States in 1958 soon after marriage. Tuckman is credited as one of the seminal artists who helped to popularize silk painting in the United States through her books, and when her company (Ivy Imports^[6]) was the first US-based company to "import the French dyes needed to paint on silk."^[2][4][5]

Tuckman was also the co-founder of the nonprofit organization Silk Painters International (SPIN),^[2][7] which in 2000 helped to organize the Second International Silk Painting Congress at George Mason University.^[2] SPIN now routinely organizes a silk painting biennial; the most recent one was held in 2018 in Gatlinburg, TN.^[8] The organization now has over 500 members.^[9]

Books co-authored with Jan Janas

• The Complete Book of Silk Painting. Cincinnati, OH: North Light. ISBN 978-0891344223.
• Creative Silk Painting. Cincinnati, OH: North Light. ISBN 978-0891346104.
• The Best of Silk Painting. Cincinnati, OH: North Light. ISBN 978-0891347293.^[10]
• The Fine Art of Painting on Silk. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2018 ISBN 978-0764355356.

Exhibitions

Tuckman has exhibited and curated^[11] silk art exhibitions around the Greater Washington, DC region.^{[12][13][14][15][16]} She has been referred to as "a silk painting pioneer in America, she teaches, paints, and exhibits her silk paintings, as well as promotes the art form through her educational programs."^[17]