About Aniya
Meet the artist
My name is Aniya Diggs. I am an 18-year-old self-taught artist from the State of Virginia. I have been creating all my life and only began painting in 2024. I strive to inspire others through my artwork.
I enjoy painting landscapes, mountains, and portraits. I use oil paints and acrylic paints to capture as much emotion as I can in my pieces. My goal is to grow as an artist as well as an individual.
From sketch to sold
Every piece starts as a rough sketch — sometimes on paper, sometimes straight onto canvas. From there I block in values and color before spending the real time on detail: eyes, hands, the folds in fabric, the way a face catches candlelight. A larger canvas usually takes a few weeks of work between school and everything else.
On weekends you'll often find me set up at a local market or festival with a table full of originals, meeting the people who end up taking a piece home. Those conversations are honestly my favorite part of doing this.
"I want every piece to feel like it caught a real moment — not just a likeness, but a feeling."— Aniya, on her approach to portraiture