JEANETTA DARLEY

I’m an Arkansas Artist that finds inspiration in nature and nostalgia. My paintings and illustrations grow out of a love of the natural beauty around me combined with a compulsive habit of collecting old and abandoned items. I believe that some of our strongest feelings are stirred by the awe of nature and the connection to our past.

I can’t remember a time in my history that I wasn’t making something. Crocheting with my aunts or quilting with my grandmother. Drawing with ball point pens on calculator paper under my mom’s desk as she finished her bookkeeping jobs. Standing with my dad’s arms around me as he guided my hands and we turned the legs of our bar stools on a wood lave.

Creating in any form is a holy and human process. Every human is creative. Every belief has a creation story of some sort. If our origins come from a great creative source whether a divine being or big bang, how can we believe that same ability doesn’t reside in our own DNA? Some people just haven’t found their process yet.

I believe that reviving the knowledge of craftsmanship and sustainable skills can bring everyone to a better understanding of what is important for an authentic, simpler, slower way of life. By ingraining these skills in our lives, I believe we can become better stewards, innovative problem solvers, and resourceful and creative citizens of the world.