Darlene Olivia McElroy comes from an old New Mexico family of artists, musicians and inventors. She is a mad scientist of art techniques and is continually exploring new surfaces, materials and techniques.
Throughout her career McElroy has combined heart and soul in her journey of creating evocative mixed-media paintings. Trained as a painter and illustrator, she has an obsession for materials, passion for dreamlike imagery, and love of new technologies, which she uses to immerse herself in richly textured surfaces, mixtures of old and new, and brilliant and subdued tones. And always, there is a face or symbol of humanity that serves as a guide into mysterious layers which challenge reason and draw upon emotions.
She has worked as an artist, illustrator, art teacher and author. Her work as an international illustrator won many awards and articles and took her to Paris for two years. On her return to the states, she taught college level fine art and computer software classes both In Southern California and Santa Fe, NM.
McElroy has written five art technique books, published by F&W Publications (now Penguin Random House). They have been translated into five languages and are used as teaching tools in many schools around the world. Her work has been featured in numerous books and magazines in the US, France and Holland.
Throughout her career McElroy has combined heart and soul in her journey of creating evocative mixed-media paintings. Trained as a painter and illustrator, she has an obsession for materials, passion for dreamlike imagery, and love of new technologies, which she uses to immerse herself in richly textured surfaces, mixtures of old and new, and brilliant and subdued tones. And always, there is a face or symbol of humanity that serves as a guide into mysterious layers which challenge reason and draw upon emotions.
She has worked as an artist, illustrator, art teacher and author. Her work as an international illustrator won many awards and articles and took her to Paris for two years. On her return to the states, she taught college level fine art and computer software classes both In Southern California and Santa Fe, NM.
McElroy has written five art technique books, published by F&W Publications (now Penguin Random House). They have been translated into five languages and are used as teaching tools in many schools around the world. Her work has been featured in numerous books and magazines in the US, France and Holland.
