Darwin Stead

Born in 1951, I began formally creating art in 1971, working across a range of media and ideas. While my creative practice has always been a constant, I turned to serious painting in 2018, bringing decades of lived experience and visual experimentation to the canvas.

I’m currently making my extensive archive available online on Saatchi Art—an evolving library that spans over five decades of work. Each piece is presented with care and clarity. The majority of paintings are signed, titled, and dated on the reverse; works that were originally unsigned are now discreetly stamped with my monogram. Every artwork is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Artists often revisit earlier works, and there are widely respected professional standards for signing pieces long after their creation. I never backdate signatures. Instead, when applicable, the Certificate of Authenticity clearly distinguishes between the year of creation and the year of signing—for example: Created 1978 / Signed 2026. This approach, aligned with museum and conservation best practices, ensures transparency, accuracy, and the preservation of provenance for collectors, advisors, and institutions alike.

My formal training began with foundational studies in fine art and continued with coursework at the University of Washington, where I deepened my understanding of painting, visual theory, and art history. But beyond the classroom, my education has always been self-propelled—driven by daily creative practice, an insatiable appetite for art books, and a decades-long obsession with galleries and museums around the world. From structured programs to self-guided exploration, I’ve immersed myself in a wide range of creative disciplines, always seeking new ways to challenge, refine, and evolve my life’s work. For me, learning isn’t a phase—it’s the engine of a life devoted to art.