We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Darlene Olivia McElroy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Darlene Olivia, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I have always been a happy person and very little bothers me. By being an optimist, I always see an opportunity in whatever comes my way. The only time that I didn’t, I realized my mistake and it never happened again. With my art work, mistakes become happy accidents. When I teach, a student’s mistake becomes a learning experience. I would rather make a mistake and learn from it because I won’t forget it and I am better prepared in the future.
There is also a generosity in being an optimist. Many artists will not tell their techniques or, if they do, they might leave a key step out of the explanation. It is just their decision. This “Mary Sunshine” believes that by helping others, it helps me become a better artist and teacher. Nor am I worried a people that are trying to copy me. While I teach my techniques, I have also put in my 10,000 hours and have moved on with my art.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Years ago I remember painting and saying to myself that I would love to be an authority on “image transfers.” Within five/six years, I had written the most comprehensive book, Image Transfer Workshop, on them. It was the typical story of not being to find a book on the subject, therefore you end up writing it. Being a mad art scientist, some of these techniques were discovered by experimenting. I got to name these techniques because they had no names.
The book was translated into seven/eight languages and has been used by schools and teachers as a resource. It is so exciting to get your first book published. Since then, I have written four more art technique books. It has allowed me to travel around the world teaching and meet many wonderful people.
I am still experimenting with image transfers and use them in my art. Coming up I will be traveling and teaching out of the country and around the U.S. I am also getting back to doing a series of technique videos.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most important thing I learned in life is to not be afraid to ask for what you want. Want to have an article in a magazine, ask for it. Want to have a gallery show, ask for it. Want to teach in an exotic location, ask for it.
Be an active listener. Not only will this get you far in life but it helps when you are having a conversation with a gallery, a collector or a student. I believe this skill is really information gathering. Information rules!
Perfect your skills.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents were always busy so I was raised as a free range child. Being raised on a ranch in the summers in New Mexico and my brother and I were left on our own. We came across snakes (the good and the bad), coyotes, flash floods and more. Not only did we survive, we gained the confidence to take care of ourselves. Recently, I killed, cooked and served my friends up a rattlesnake pesto pasta. No, I don’t kill anything for the sake of being in my way. This six footer was in area that children played so was a safety issue.
In my 30’s I traveled around the world solo for two years. Being raised to figure things out myself and be independent made this easy and fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.darleneoliviamcelroy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlene_olivia_mcelroy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darleneoliviamcelroy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@collagegoddess
