Born and raised in Southern California, Darlene comes from a family of artists and storytellers and was especially influenced by her grandfather, who was a well-known artist on Catalina Island. She creates work using transparent layers to reveal a depth that is hidden at first glance. Using neoclassical (or sometimes later) imagery to convey the fleeting quality of life, she brings people of the past back to life in her art, often in new and unexpected situations. Darlene shows her art in galleries nationally and internationally, teaches and is currently on the Creative Paperclay® design team. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband and four dogs and is surrounded by wonderfully creative friends. Darlene is the author of Image Transfer Workshop, Surface Treatment Workshop, Mixed Media Revolution and Alternative Art Surfaces. Follow Darlene’s adventures at DarleneOliviaMcElroy.com.
I couldn’t have a better friend and coauthor than Patricia Chapman (yeh, Pat!) or more wonderfully supportive husband, Dave. You both make life sparkle.
The F+W support team holds us together, makes us look great and are a party to be with—Tonia Jenny, Kristin Conlin, Christine Polomsky and Jamie Markle.
Patricia was born and raised in the Midwest with a burning desire to grow up to be a cowgirl. But from the first time she got her hands on a hunk of Play-Doh, the call to create art became stronger than her cowgirl dreams. Patricia studied at the San Francisco Academy of Art and at Arizona University and spent several years out of college creating large-scale fiber sculpture commissions for public and private spaces. Eventually her passion to collect unusual objects led her to the realization that these objects could be mined for their metaphorical content and utilized to make assemblage sculptures combined with text and a large measure of humor to create stories about life, love and other impossible situations. Patricia has shown her art in galleries nationally and internationally and in several publications, and she was featured in the PBS documentary series In Context. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, and spends a ridiculous amount of time every day in her studio, teaches both private lessons and workshops, and enjoys a stunningly excellent circle of friends and family. See what Patricia is up to now. Visit ThePatStudio.com.
To my eternally supportive, encouraging and magnificent family and stellar circle of friends. And to my cat Zoe, who always reminds me to take a break and play with the cat.
I am forever grateful to my supremely talented coauthor, Darlene. And my deepest thanks to the F+W dream team of Kristy Conlin, managing editor, and Christine Polomsky, photographer. You both made the education of this book newbie so incredibly easy and FUN.
BUBBLES
Patricia Chapman
Stamped and painted critter clay slab, with molded and hand-modeled Critter Clay pieces.