Kent Darwin's Bio

Kent Darwin's work as a serious artist began in 1972 with pen drawings, which from the beginning, have reflected a definite style. He began painting in watercolor in 1974, studying briefly with Jim Gray, a prominent Southern artist, in the Smoky Mountains. In 2005 Kent began painting in oil, studying with Francois Arenas of Grapevine, Texas, Mary Kay Krell of Colleyville, Texas, and Darnell Jones of Fort Worth, Texas.

His artist's vision expresses his deep fascination with nature, born of long summers spent on his grandparents' farm in southern Arkansas. His preferred subjects are landscapes, seascapes, and flowers.

"The gift of art allows me, wherever I am, to see beauty in the world around me and reproduce it. Frequently scenes cry out 'Paint me!'"

While living in St. Paul, Minnesota, he had one-man shows and participated in other area art shows. Several of his watercolors are part of 3M Company's permanent collection, and 3M has purchased significant numbers of his prints for use as gifts over the years.

A resident of Coppell, Texas, a Dallas suburb, Kent has had one-man shows and continues to develop his painting skills. In April, 2001, Volunteer Hospitals of America Inc. (VHA), commissioned him to do a painting and 3,150 special edition prints for guests at their annual Leadership Conference.

His vivid depictions of flowers, his quiet sunrises and sunsets, his serenelandscapes capture nature's light at its most memorable. It delights him when a person asks where a painting was done because he knows his work has evoked personal memories of a place.

"I have been accused of crocheting my art. Artist friends have urged me to use larger brushes, but that's hard for me because I am fascinated by the challenge of reproducing nature's intricate shapes." Oil painting is one response to his friends' accusations.

He enjoys working from photographs because he isn't limited to daylight hours. "Physically and mentally, I can immerse myself in my art for three or four hours; then I need a break. Photographs allow me to focus on detail and try to reflect what my eyes see." Most of his commissioned drawings and paintings are from photographs.

It is a pleasure for him to spend time at his cabin on the Tennessee River, located in a remote area of Decatur County, Tennessee. Always, while he is fishing, water skiing, canoeing, hiking, he is storing images: a stump in the inlet, the reflection of clouds in the river, rock formations in a stream bed, shadows on a heavily wooded hillside.

After working almost 32 years with 3M's Healthcare Division, Kent retired in February, 2001, to devote more time to his passion for drawing and painting parts of this good earth.

He has frequently donated his art to organizations for use in successful fund- raising ventures.

Limited edition prints, open edition prints, and note cards are also available.