Darlene’s enchantment with nature began during her early childhood in Lynn Valley, North Vancouver, B.C. The temperate rainforest with its biological diversity and the coastal grandeur left a deep imprint on her young mind. The sense of nature’s beauty and mystery blossomed within. She went on to study biology at Simon Fraser University while at the same time experimenting in fibre and pottery, finally settling on oil painting as her medium of expression.

After moving to Calgary, Alberta in the ‘90s she attended the Alberta College of Art and Design, receiving a BFA in painting. Since then she has been maintaining a studio and painting full-time. Her paintings are held in collections in Canada and internationally.

The natural world and all within it remain her inspiration. She paints intuitively, maintaining an ongoing conversation with what happens on the surface. Her references are based on memory and imagination. Her creative life and journey is an ever-evolving enquiry influenced by Eastern religion and philosophy.