Massachusetts woman gives up career to follow dream of becoming artist

LYNN – A Lynn woman gave up a stable career to follow her dream of becoming a watercolor artist. Now, Diana Morgan is finding beauty in neighborhoods all around New England.

Morgan isn’t your typical house painter. Water is the key element in her toolbox.

The artist understands homes are much more than just brick and mortar.

“My dad is a real estate appraiser, and when I was a kid he would point out the architecture of all the houses and show me why they were beautiful,” Morgan said. “So I’ve been looking at houses in a way that showcases why they’re beautiful my whole life.”

Becoming a professional artist

Being a professional artist is challenging. In the U.S., only one in six earn $25,000 a year, one in ten make $100,000 or more.

Becoming an artist wasn’t always Morgan’s plan.

Morgan was a philosophy major in college and worked in graphic design and marketing for a decade. But she says everything changed in 2020.

“I had so many dreams about painting that I realized I had to try it. And then I tried it and I was hooked,” Morgan said.

While many artists rely on social media to sell their work and to raise their profiles, Morgan focuses on making connections in the local community.

Art on display in Lynn

She has an exhibit up at a Lynn coffee shop, sets up booths at outdoor markets, and works closely with several realtors, who commission her work as closing gifts to buyers and sellers.

Under the name Sophia Diana Creations, Morgan has painted more than 400 pieces in the past two years, everything from $6 greeting cards to larger works that sell for more than $1,000.

Morgan said the opportunity to always try something new is one of the best things about it, saying “Being an artist and being paid to do it is freedom in a lot of ways.”