Distinctly Montana Magazine

Double Trouble D arlene was the daughter of accomplished artist Merle Olson and grew up in a home surrounded by good art. She drew India ink is an old, but somewhat unusual art form today. In the past it has often associated with tattoos. How did you come about making the artistic choice for this medium? My mother introduced me to India ink in the form of ink washes. It lends itself well to contrast and detail. Not many people work in ink and very few using it as a wash. Most use ink with a pen. Mine are often inaccurately called pen and inks, but I tell people that the only pen I use on my paintings is when I sign my name. I like working in a medium that isn���t flooded with artists. It���s different and my technique isn���t like any other. Creating in black and white is not easy. The values have to be spot on, or the piece doesn���t work. Early India or ���Chinese��� ink was a mix of glue, charred bones, and lampblack or soot. How is India ink manufactured today, and do you think the ���modern��� methods add or detract from your finished work? I purchase bottled India ink of a high quality. It works well with my application, so I don���t question how it���s made. It���s permanent black ink. w w w. d i s t i n c t lymo nt a na .co m and painted from a very young age. ���There wasn���t a time that I didn���t have a pencil in my hand sketching and drawing people���s portraits.��� There was never a question that her life���s work would be art. Darlene does mostly portraiture, whether it���s Native Americans or a grandchild. Darlene started painting Native Americans shortly after the family moved to Bigfork, Montana, 45 years ago. ���We live near two Indian Reservations and are surrounded by their culture. I started out painting in oils and then started specializing in India ink washes. I love dramatic light and shadow, which renders itself so well with the black and white India ink.��� Darlene���s life has been fraught with struggles and pain. She is the mother of five children. Two of her sons were hemophiliacs who died during the AIDS epidemic, when they were infected with HIV from blood products during the 1980���s. ���We had a long struggle of dealing with their disease, which sidetracked me for years from doing my painting. The suffering and sorrow made me see things more in depth and gave me better perception. I approach my art as a gift from God and I feel that I must develop and diligently refine as long as I can paint and create.��� What are the difficulties of working with ink? You cannot make any mistakes with India ink. You can���t erase it or paint over it. It���s permanent once it���s on the paper, so there is no room for error. You also have to get all the values right, because they are black and white. I use a small detail brush for all the fine detail. This takes a great deal of time. You can���t rush this process. Beadwork and hair have to be individually painted. The great body of your work is in portraits of people, often children, but also of Native Americans. As an artist, what appeals most to you about this subject matter? I have painted Native American���s for over 45 years, almost exclusively. I love their culture, faces, apparel, beadwork, and jewelry. Their children have fascinating eyes and hair. I love painting eyes, for they are the windows to the soul. Children are a favorite subject of mine, but I also like to paint the old wrinkled faces that tell a story of their own. Horses are another favorite. I think they are one of the most beautiful creatures God created. 27

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