ABOUT DIANNE V. LAWRENCE

Her work is rooted in a lifelong commitment to fully and deeply explore her creativity and talents wherever they may lead. That commitment has shaped a life richly lived and filled with meaningful accomplishments.

In addition to her work as an artist and writer, Dianne has taught extensively in a wide range of settings, including Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Esalen Institute in Big Sur, and through the UCLA and Theatre Works prison outreach programs. Her teaching program, Accessing Creative Process, combined theatre games and painting exercises to help individuals access and trust their own creative voice.

Earlier in her career in Toronto, Dianne was an actress, singer, and performance artist. She studied with Second City and appeared in productions at Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto Free Theatre, A Space, and with the artist collective General Idea.

After moving to Los Angeles, she studied with the Groundlings and later with the Actors Gang.  She performed with her band Storm Taylor and Her Ex-Husbands at venues throughout the city, including Lunaria, the Baked Potato, the Gardenia, and the Troubadour. The group specialized in African American music from the 1930s and 1940s.

Dianne is also a dedicated animal lover and dog advocate and trainer. She played a leading role in changing a Los Angeles law to keep dogs off-leash in backyards. In addition to rescuing and rehoming over 75 dogs, she studied with master trainer Mike Herstik and went on to found her own dog training business, What a Good Dog LA, as a way to support her creative work. The business is now thriving, with over 90 five-star reviews on Yelp and Google.

Art and writing have been the threads running through her life.  Explore the menu to learn more.