Tess Darling

The artist pursues wild areas to capture wildlife and landscapes. Her field work in photography and sketching enables her to create larger scale paintings and detailed drawings using acrylic and mixed media. She re-creates the subjects with gesticulate line work, structure, and layering techniques; a contemporary, pop-naturalist process in order to sketch the fleeting impression. The portrayal of singular animals and scenes of wilderness stems from a minimalist approach to the complexities of themes explored through portions of her perspective.

2013 Bachelor's in Fine Art, Concentration in Studio Drawing
Minor in Psychology
University of North Carolina in Asheville
2016 Screenprinting Work Study. Penland School of Craft, Bakersville, NC

2018 Cold Wax Workshop with artist Mark Bettis. Mark Bettis Studio and Gallery, River Arts District, Asheville, NC

2021 Aquatic Insect Ecology for Environmental Professionals - Level 2. Laurel Community Center, Hot Springs, NC

SOLO:

2013 Mud, Watercolor, Acrylic and Ink on Paper (17- piece series)Highsmith Union Gallery,
University of North Carolina at Asheville

2015 AWE, Acrylic on Canvas, Ink on Paper
(17- piece series) Asheville Outdoor Center, NC

2018 Fauna, Ink and Acrylic on Canvas
(10 – piece series) Lexington Avenue Brewery, Asheville, NC

2019 Fauna: Wildlife Sketches, Ink and Acrylic (15 piece series). Epione Clinic for Integrated Healing, Asheville, NC

2021 EPT, Acrylic on Ink on Canvas (3 piece series). The Laurel Community Center (Online Auction), Marshall, NC

2022 Sublimity in Gold: An Expedition Through Elements of Earth, Acrylic and Ink on Canvas (20 piece series). Mark Bettis Studio and Gallery at 15 Broadway Street, Downtown Asheville, NC

2023 Into the Hollow, Mixed Media (17 piece series), Mark Bettis Studio and Gallery at 123 Roberts St., Asheville, NC

GROUP:

2012 “45th Annual Student Juried Exhibition” (Juror: John Casey, Artist; Oakland, CA).
Tucker Cooke Gallery, University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC

2015 “2015 North Carolina Artists Exhibition”
(Judge: Herb Jackson, Artist and former chair of the Davidson Department of Art).
Betty McCain Gallery, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts...