Darlene Wilson (1938 to 2009)

Click here to see Darlene's Art online

Darlene sadly passed away last year (2009). A great loss for her family, the people who knew her, and those who love her work.

Being raised on an isolated ranch in New Mexico gave Darlene Wilson a love for animals that is clearly reflected in her work. She remembers that her first drawing was of the family ranch dog.

As a self taught artist, Darlene devoted time to many mediums, but it was with pastels that she discovered her special talent. It wasn´t until she moved to Colorado in 1971 and began to compete in numerous art shows that she developed the unique style that sets her apart from other animal artists. Darlene has spent the past several years specializing in puppies, and this, combined with her creative ability to mix a subtle blend of humor and personality, has established her as one of the most recognized artists in her field.

During her professional career, Darlene has been commissioned to draw several hundred dogs, among them some of the top show dogs in the country. She has been featured on the covers of five national breed magazines and has had the distinction of being chosen to do a series of pencil drawings for the Pure Breed Dogs / American Kennel Gazette. Most recently, she has been selected to illustrate for such well known companies as IAMS Puppy Food and Eukanuba's "Puppy Print" newsletter. A generous write-up in the spring '99 edition of The Samoyed Quarterly is her newest feature.

Says Darlene " I like to draw the essence of the breed. When someone looks at my work, they should be able to tell size, movement and which instincts come into play. I do my homework and spend time with the dogs. Most of all, I like getting back to the basic reasons that someone chooses one dog over another."

Darlene resided in Grand Junction, Colorado with her husband Jim and a rescue dog, R.D. They travelled extensively throughout the United States researching and selling her work.

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