We recently connected with Darla Colinet and have shared our conversation below.
Darla, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
In high school, I discovered that I could paint. I read books and practiced and dreamed of an art career. However, life doesn’t always take the path we want it to.
Thank God that as I grew older, healthier, and wiser, I was able to leave my abusive marriages behind. But the effect of the trauma created a block in my artistic gift. Instead of using my artistic gift, I wrote Christian non-fiction to help women struggling in unhealthy or abusive relationships. Now I can see that unless I didn’t have an artistic block, I wouldn’t have focused on this specific mission God enabled me to do.
As I found healing in Christ and I worked with a counselor in 2021, the cloud in my mind, heart, spirit, and soul was lifted, and my artistic gift found a new life! Now that I have fulfilled what God asked me to do and I am in an older season of life, I am focusing on my gift of artistic expression.
Darla, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I love to inspire people with my realistic art. I’ve been blessed with the gift of bringing animals, flowers, and landscapes to life from a blank canvas through color, perspective, and moods. The beauty of God’s creations never ceases to amaze me, and I’m honored to share their unique beauty with you. I choose various mediums like watercolor, acrylic, pastel chalk, colored pencil, or mixed media to share the essence of the subject. I aim to connect you to the space, emotion, unique details, and sacredness within all of nature.
For the past fifteen years, I focused on my other passions: writing, speaking, and running my company, God’s Transforming Grace. I specialize in helping people explore their definition of love and how it affects the health of their relationships, especially healthy love, and domestic abuse. Although art has been in the background, my passionate spark of creation has come to life in a fresh way.
Like many of you, my life’s journey has been challenging at times. However, through my gift of art, I’m reminded of how God’s light severed my darkness and showed me his unique colors of hope, beauty, love, and new beginnings!
Every picture has a story, and I look forward to sharing them with you through my website www.darlacolinet.com and social media. Let me know what connects you to my art or if you have any questions. If I’m not in the studio, my fantastic husband and I are traveling. I look forward to beginning our new art adventure together!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I’m honored and amazed that even though there is darkness in the world, the love and light of Jesus can cut through it! When I explore the details in all living things, I can see the creative brilliance, astounding beauty, and miracles in all living things. Being able to capture a snapshot of these miracles and inspire and encourage others is the most rewarding benefit of being given the talent to paint.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I left my first abusive husband with my two sons, I could still paint for a few years. The very first painting I did was created in pastel chalk, Protective Mama Bear. The picture reveals a mama bear looking out for her cubs while they crawl on her back. Once I was free from abuse, I wasn’t going to let my children be hurt again. Art often reveals and brings to life stories in the artist’s life. Stories that need to be illustrated, shared, and celebrated. The stories in all of our lives can help others if we are brave enough to share. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.darlacolinet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlacolinet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarlaColinetSpeaker
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darla-colinet/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMis2kfa-Hh_Y0KmAgbsPaw/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/darlatgm/
Image Credits
My portrait, Kevin Snyder Photography