Being a diehard rock climber and an incredible artist, all rolled into one, is certainly a rare combination. And Alyse Dietel has achieved this unique feat. Today, she’s not only an accomplished rock climber but also an artist of repute.
The artistic journey of this avid rock climber started in September 2012, when she met with a major accident while mountain hiking. She fell 80 feet off a cliff and sustained multiple injuries that included a shattered pelvis, a collapsed lung, and spine fracture at several places. It was while she was recuperating that the latent artist within her woke up.
Dietel, who hails from San Jose in California, USA, always loved art since her childhood, and recuperating from this injury gave her time to hone her artistic skills. What helped her in her artistic pursuit was the outdoors that brought her close to nature. Rock climbing took her to many wild places that are so remote that they’re ventured only by a few. Thus, nature and wildlife became the main sources of inspiration for her art. She still feels a sense of awe and wonders in a new landscape.
According to Deitel, doctors had told her that her climbing and hiking days were over. As she couldn’t move her legs and outdoors was out of the question, she focused her energies on drawing and developed a deep passion for it. She drew illustrations of wild animals and other wildlife species. However, the wheelchair couldn’t tie her down for long, and, despite the doctors’ prediction, she not only got out of the wheelchair but also started rock climbing and devoting full-time to art.
Since Dietel is completely self-taught and never received any training in art, she developed her own artistic style. Her proximity to nature gives her exotic and unique art a kind of authenticity that’s lacking in many other nature artists. Her works convey a message too of the dire need to conserve and protect our natural environment.
Dietel was a winner of the Strokes of Genius award and was placed second in Yosemite Renaissance, both in 2020. She has a followership of over 51,000 fans on Instagram alone.
Alyse Dietel
