Alyse Dietel

Alyse Dietel is a self-taught artist from San Jose, California. She has always loved to draw, and recently has begun to pursue a full-time career in art. She is a rock climber and lover of wild species and wild spaces. Her passion for nature and wildlife has been the main source of inspiration for her intricate, detailed, unique drawings. The outdoors and art became linked permanently for her in September of 2012, when Dietel fell 80 feet off a cliff in a hiking accident. Dietel broke her spine in several places, shattered her pelvis, and collapsed a lung among other injuries, and was consequently wheelchair-bound and told she would never walk again. This was devastating and an intensely difficult time, as her life was so connected to outdoor adventures. Because hiking and climbing were out of reach, Dietel clung to art, previously only an infrequent hobby, and began developing a passion for drawing with an intensity that she never had before. Living vicariously through her illustrations of untamed wilderness and wildlife connected her to the mountains and sparked her intense desire to walk again in wilderness. Healing from the accidient, she is now a full-time artist, and hikes and climbs as often as she draws.

Dietel’s goal as an artist is to travel the world and create art in exotic and unique locations while drawing attention to the need to conserve and protect the natural environment. We were thrilled and honoured to have her in residence at the Narrows.