The great herds of bison are gone forever from the hills and plains of this land, but they have returned from the brink of extinction. This form is of a white buffalo trimmed with buckskin, feathers and fur, telling a story of the bison’s battle for survival. Painted in acrylics, one side shows a mountain lion waiting for its chance to attack. The other side shows a buffalo hunter with musket. Together they indicate just some the trials the bison faced in their fight for survival against both man and beast.
Born and raised on a farm in North Dakota, Darlene has a deep love of the land, animals and native cultures. She started drawing as a child and, as a young adult became fascinated with the Native American culture. She began studying and creating portraits, capturing in her work the pride, majesty and mystery of the Native American people.
Darlene moved with her family to Colorado and for 30 years used the Rocky Mountains as her inspiration. Although Indian portraits in pastel are her fist love, she also enjoys working in oil, acrylics, and watercolor, depicting animals and landscapes in many moods.
Darlene is a graduate of the Rocky Mountain School of Art in Denver. Now settled in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, she creates works of art that reflect the area’s past and present.
