Bearing the last name of her distant relative Claude Monet, Diane Monet was almost pre-determined to be a great artist. For some time her life took her in a different direction, however, as Monet was an international marketing major at New York University. Though she worked on marketing campaigns for Avon, Brisol-Meyers and PepsiCO, Monet was not finding the creative outlet that she needed. At the behest of her husband Gary, Monet decided to devote herself to art full-time. Though she is entirely self-taught, Monet uses inspiration from her extensive travels to France and Italy to create her colorful impressionist pieces. In Europe, Monet takes pictures of landscapes, vistas, and gardens to take back to her studio in New York, where she paints tirelessly all day. Influenced by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Childe Hassam, and Peter Paul Rubens, Monet creates oil paintings that are recognized around the world for their vivid colors, luminosity, and depth. When speaking of her work, Monet says: “It is my wish to give people fun-filled escapes from the pressures and stresses of the world, to offer serene views of gardens, fields, and resort areas so that my paintings private little vacations of joy and hope.”