About

Diane M. Radford MD, FACS, FRCSEd, Author & Artist

Dr. Diane Radford’s medical training and career as a breast surgical oncologist spanned fifty years and two continents in both academics and private practice. Her life as an author and artist began during the later phases of her surgical career. A love of painting pictures with words in her writing has spilled over to painting watercolors. Her mother, Margery, has been an inspiration for both, and certainly a muse for Diane’s writing. Margery took up watercolor painting in her seventies and her works adorn the walls of her home. Bless Your Little Cotton Socks recounts Diane’s life growing up on the west coast of Scotland with Margery, an eccentric mother with a quick wit and quaint turn of phrase. Blindness due to glaucoma ended her artistic endeavors.

Wendy H. Steele, an inspirational figure for women in philanthropy

While on faculty at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Diane took up painting. Diane’s spouse registered her for a watercolor class at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania as she was recovering from her surgery. And there it began. Watercolor classes from Nancy Notarianni and Amy Lewandowski in Cleveland have guided and encouraged her. She found that art continued the healing process from her three lumbar spine surgeries. As a healer, Diane knows there are many modalities to healing on the journey to wellness. Painting is a continuum of healing just as writing is. Brushstrokes and pen strokes (or keystrokes) can heal.

Beyond the quirky sayings of my eccentric Scottish mum

Bless Your Little Cotton Socks

In this delightful essay collection that reads like a memoir, Dr. Diane Radford draws the reader into the enchanting world of her parents — her mother Margery, and her long-suffering father Sidney. Margery had a way with words — she was never lost for them.

Recalling her mum’s unique turns of phrase, Diane found herself beginning her own sentences with “as Margery would say,” followed by one of her mother’s pithy comments. She never realized how much her mother differed from other mothers until she began to quote her, and listeners responded with either a quizzical stare or a peal of laughter. Diane mistakenly presumed everyone had a mother who would demonstrate the Charleston in the middle of doing dishes — suds flying across the kitchen — or recite poetry on a walk along the shore. Dr. Radford compiled these “Margeryisms,” and her essays recount the adventures of the Radford family and the circumstances in which the Margeryisms were let loose upon the world.

Wendy H. Steele speaking at an International Women's Day Event

Featured Art

Diane’s watercolor paintings reflect a deep appreciation for nature, memory, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. Her work ranges from serene landscapes to expressive, varied compositions. Each piece is an extension of her lifelong journey through healing, reflection, and creativity.