A Conversation With Takoma Park Artist Marie Darling

Marie Darling is an artist and former art teacher living in Takoma Park, Maryland with her husband and two children. Marie received her Bachelor of Arts from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University and her Master of Arts in Art Education from Boston University. She likes to create work on both canvas and 300-pound cold-pressed watercolor paper. Frames found on many of her works on canvas are handmade by Marie’s husband, Nic Darling.

This interview has been edited lightly.

Would you tell me a little bit about your work?

My work is at its core an exploration of color. I am obsessed with understanding color and how it affects emotions, experiences and how we see our environment. Color can represent so much to so many different people for a variety of reasons. We all have our own experiences and often we can associate a feeling to a specific color or color palette based on that personal experience.

I also enjoy exploring shape, texture, pattern, and form while working. I enjoy working in layers and on many pieces at one time, so I work in between them as I let paint dry. It also gives me time to discover interesting shapes, patterns, and areas I want to highlight. I enjoy working with acrylics, watercolors, and various drawing materials and then I also end by…