Distinctly Montana Magazine

Harnessed Comrades ���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 there is no room for error.��� When you are not working, what pastimes do you enjoy? Traveling and seeing our great country along with our neighboring countries. My husband, Steve, and I spend a lot of time in the southwest in the winter. I don���t like my hands to be idle. I like to knit and play the piano. I enjoy music. It���s a de-stressor. I enjoy visiting our children and grandchildren. I am currently working to finish my deceased son���s book ��� I promised I���d finish it for him when he was dying. I am currently a Make-A-Wish volunteer. Since one of our sons (and our family) went on a Make-A-Wish trip before he died, it���s something that is dear to my heart. What are your artistic goals over the next year? It���s a goal that I have every year. I strive to improve and create new pieces. I have added doing pastels as well and find freedom in that medium. If I make a mistake or need to rework something, I can do that w w w. d i s t i n c t lymo nt a na .co m Dancing Shadows very easily. Also working in color for a change is refreshing. I like to mix it up lately. I���ll do a couple of inks and then do a pastel. Pastel lends itself well to portraiture, which is my forte. What character traits of Darlene Morgan are dominant creating your art? My most dominant is perfectionism. I have always been a perfectionist. I often times say it���s a curse. Even if I���m just patting out a hamburger patty, it has to be perfectly round and uniform in thickness. Nothing ever measures up to my standards, so I am continually striving to do better work. I work long and hard on my paintings. One of the things that annoys me the most is when someone refers to my paintings as sketches. They are far from a sketch. They are painted, not drawn. My ink washes require more time than most oil paintings. ~ Interview by Bill Muhlenfeld To experience more of Darlene���s work visit www.artistdarlenemorgan.com 29

• Cover