Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marie Darling. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Marie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I just recently left the K-12 classroom. It was March 31, 2023 to be exact. I decided after 12 years, two of them during a pandemic, that it was time to stop teaching middle school art. I was burnt out, exhausted and was becoming someone I didn’t like. Throughout my whole teaching career, I have always created art and even before becoming art teacher, I was an artist. I always wanted to be an artist but also a teacher so a better term would be “artist teacher”. Artist first, teacher second. Art centered me, kept me in the art world and definitely made me a better teacher. Teaching made me a better artist because I was always using my talent and craft to bring joy and inspiration to my students. It also forced me to research and learn more about the art history, different cultures, and artists. BUT, the system in which teachers after to exist in is not suited for teachers, students, or anyone trying to become a citizen of this society. Particularly after the pandemic I saw support from administration, parents, and the general public slip significantly. We (when I saw we, I don’t necessarily speak for all teachers but I mean teachers) were expected to be so much for this students and it was impossible to be ALL the things for them while still doing doing our job. It became impossible to do the job at work. Art kep me sane, along with my kids and spouse but it wasn’t enough and I decided to leave. Right now I am painting, creating art, trying to get myself out there and become the successful part of “artist teacher” that I always wanted to be. It is a risk and I am looking forwar a full-time job but for now, I will be an artist.
Marie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have always been creative and that goes for design, fashion, art, etc. I decided at a young age that I wanted to be an artist and as I went through grade school, middle school and then high school I knew I would go to an art school. I come from a long line of artists and creatives so it felt right. I went to Tyler School of Art at Temple University. While there I played D1 lacrosse and that helped pay for school. I mostly focused on printmaking because I enjoyed layering and color, which definiltey continued thoughout my career. I also enjoyed the intense process of printmkaing. Once leaving Tyler, I went to Rosemont College to get my Pennsylvania Art Teacher Certification k-12 and then began my teaching career. I bounced around different schools, had two children in Philadelphia while always teaching art, waiting tables, and showing at small galleries in the city when I could. Eventually, my husbands job moved us to the D.C. area and we settled in Takoma Park, MD. I continued to teach middle school art and being in such a creative community and starting “fresh” I decided to really push myself to create art more aggressively. I also decided to get my Master’s of Art Education from Boston University. I loved the program. It really pushed me and helped me to learn about the history of art educaiton all over the world and in this country. I also explored other cultures and really enjoyed learning. My capstone class where I had to do an art research and the end of the program really pushed me to develop the body of work I am currently still exploring. I focused on color theory an color symbolism among private school, middle school aged students. I dove in and really explored color. This is where I really embraced my understanding of color. I have always been good with color but this made me realize that this is a strength of mine. I kept pushing myself and then stuck to the basics of color, texture, form, shape, balance, and pattern. I took inspiration from nature and color in everyday life.
This brings me to what makes my work unique. I love color. I love exploring color combinations and then seeing what the paint gives me in terms of shape, form, and texture. I began to sew into my work bringing out texture and giving my peices depth. So every piece I make wether on paper or canvas is sew into with thread, yarn, string, or other fibers. Sewing into my work slows me down and makes every stitch intensional. I really enjoy this part of my process.
I am so proud of my growth as an artist and that fact that I have embraced this process. It bring me joy. I also realized that my clients appreciate my eye for color. I began taking commissions. A client will tell me what color palette they like and I will see their space and we will decide on a size and then they give me the freedom to do my thing and create a piece for them. I love the challenge and am so grateful my clients trust me to have a vision and take their taste to consideration.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The priviledge to create. It is definitley a priviledge and I am grateful everyday that I have the inspiration and ability to create.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I don’t know much about them. All I know that holding, touching, feeling, and looking at a piece is extremely important to me. I like tangible things. I love fibers and NFTs takes that experience away from me but that is coming from someone that doesn’t quite understand NFTs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mariedarling.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniqueannick/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-darling-a0554311/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/uniqueannick
Image Credits
Marie Darling