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Darrell McGahhey
USA
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“In every work, I remain true to my soul - to create emotion that can be felt intimately with every painting, photograph, or sculpture.”
Darrell was born and raised in the mountains of Colorado where he was first introduced to the natural diversity of colors and landscapes. For the next 40 years, he pursued his creative passions through woodworking and photography. At an early age, he found inspiration and passion from the visual images that constantly flooded his mind.
SNUGGLEING | Watercolor
$700
17 X 22
I found the concept of two ferocious lions snuggling together added tension to that emotion. I first used a dip pen and ink on the bristle board to create the contrast of black on white. I find this stark contrast compelling and captivating. I like to hang the finished inked painting in our house gallery and watch it come alive. Slowly over time, it talks to me. As I watch and see it, I start to see what it can be. Over time these cats kept calling out to me - stark is nice, but color is striking.
The spark that drove him, came from an internal image that danced in his daily thoughts and daytime dreams and ponderings. First, came the conceptualization - the ember of vision that grew into the pictures and forms that he would set free in wood sculpture and photographs. Darrell released his imaginings both in his two-dimensional and three-dimensional images.
LOOK at ME | Watercolor
$700
17 X 22
When I look at elephants, I see their massive size and playful gestures conflicting. I created a large ink drawing that produced a powerful contrast of black ink on a bright white bristle board. As I mused at it over the months, I wanted to bring out the playful side also. I decided to paint a watercolor of many colors as a playful coat of mischief over the elephant. Thus, a series of multicolored elephants danced for me as I playfully dressed each one with a coat of many colors.
Since he retired, new avenues of expression in watercolor, acrylic, oils, and ceramics have emerged. His always-driving compulsion started with the spark of an idea that Darrell felt, must be released and put free to dance as an image or a lively form. He has studied with many diverse artists in hopes of capturing his own voice with new media, techniques, and spins on materials.
“I see myself as an artist who walks the walk and does the labor so that my work appears effortless.”
Darrell is willing to incorporate ideas that are non-objective, textural, abstract, and realistic processes. He does not seek to become a "mini-me" of a mentor but rather more truly himself. His skill has grown by leaps and bounds that many artists do not achieve in such a short number of years.
ELECTRIC TREE | Ink
$700
17 X 22
There is an old dried-up tree along my morning walks. One day I stopped and really looked at all the tiny branches flying everywhere. The more I looked at it every day, it took hold of my imagination. I drew a massive ink on a bright bristle board with small branches flying in the wind. As I watched it day after day, it began to talk to me. "I am more than black ink on white. I move like flowing electricity." How to give the tree the energy it demands? I gave energy to the painting.
I noticed the horse stalls on my walks in the early morning. I live in the desert. There are many horse stalls scattered around the desert countryside. The horses were calling to me. Trapped in their stalls, behind low-hanging bars, the lead horse told me that they needed to be free. It was then that I saw that I could let them be free by creating their painting. They would finally be free to roam around the world, carried into the hearts and minds of all who gaze upon them.
Who You Looking at? | Ink
$700
17 X 22
He entered the army, which brought him to El Paso, where he has resided since 1969. He attended UTEP; and received his BA in Chemistry and MBA. He worked as a CFO for a multi-national corporation in Mexico and the United States, until retiring in 2008.
“Each medium - watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel, and inks, has its own level of intricacies that I am striving to learn in order to achieve technical expertise with the plethora of substrates available to each discipline.”
“I constantly strive to be freed from the bonds of technicality to achieve expressive beauty and emotion without artifice.”
Darrell received his Master of Fine Furniture making from MASW and did his apprenticeship under Michael Fortune. He is an accomplished photographer of 50 years and has entered many juried shows and won awards. Upon retiring, he followed his passion to create works of beauty, in wood, clay, photography, oil, acrylic, and watercolor.
Cityscape | Ink
$700
17 X 22
I am drawn to the perspective of tall buildings stretching into the horizon. I decided to draw a cityscape consistent with what I envisioned. I started at the bottom and slowly added layer upon layer of tightly clustered structures. After finishing, I set it aside and waited a month to look at it. Something was missing. It needed something to draw you into the painting. I designed crumbling old billboards. With a spot of color against the black and white background, the contrast was there.
He has been accepted into many juried shows in both El Paso, New Mexico, and southwest tristate completions. He has won awards in each of these venues and continues to look for the next challenge to invigorate the mind and put life into each mind's wandering and vision.
Silent Strength | Watercolor
$700
17 X 22
Bears are strong, deadly, and are very intimidating. There are no bears where I live. Nothing big enough to eat. He still lived in my mind. I put ink to paper and drew a bear waiting for its prey. He seemed very intimidating, black on white. I decided to color him. I tried my washes of watercolor over him, but nothing came that was stunning. Finally, after many tries, I decided to do mixed color patches dominated with cool blue. Now he is the silent strength and brightly colored as he waits.
Darrell is a colorist. In each work of art, he does many preliminary sketches and tests, to work out how the colors that he envisions will work together to elevate the paintings and add to the texture and feeling of each concept.
I have never seen a panda up close. From what I have seen in documentaries, pandas are playful. I envisioned a mother meeting her baby after many months away from her. Her baby had been sick and was transported to a facility that could help him. As caring and loving as Pandas are, the long wait away from her baby was lonely and fearful. After months of not seeing her wonderful baby, at last, there is the first meeting.
The Meeting | Acylic & Watercolor
NA
“I continue to sell my works of art by word of mouth from satisfied collectors.”
Milk Lady | Watercolor
$700
17 X 22
Being old and poor with only one milk cow, they work all day just to get by. It is dirty and clothes get dirt that never comes out in the wash. From sun up to sun down, she does her chores of cooking and gardening. They work hard to keep the cow healthy, but she too is getting old and worn down. The cow is faithful to give them the much-needed milk. Today the milk lady came early. Caught in her nightgown and bonnet, she hurriedly gets the milk to make the butter needed.
The challenge that he works under, is to bring out the emotion in each painting without the concentration on the many aspects and technicalities of each medium. He searches to find whether oil, acrylic, pastel, or watercolor will give the added depth of color that will combine with his subjects to bring out the maximum emotional content of each work of art.
It has been such a long time, waiting for her baby to be returned to her. There was nothing that she could do to shorten the time. They feed her every day but no word about the baby. Then one day, they brought her baby into the room. The baby had grown so much, but she was hers. The scent and longing in the baby’s eyes reassured her that the baby had not forgotten her. Slowly, the two came together and held on to each other. It was the coming together of love. I missed you, my little one.
I Missed You | Ink & Watercolor
NA
17 X 22
He has found the ink and wash style of painting to be the latest challenging endeavor. He has spent many hours researching substrates, inks, and processes to create ink drawings that are truly waterproof for the watercolor washes to be applied without loosening the ink below.
Cactus in Bloom | Watercolor
$700
17 X 22
I have deserts and coyotes to clutter my musings. In the spring, a wonderful stalk with bunches of flowers bursts forth. This display of blooms juxtaposed against the harsh empty desert is candy for the eyes and spirit. The desert responds to this display of obstinance against the drab and dulls scenes of landscape. The desert sky responds to this call with dazzling and wonderful skies filled with color twice a day. To try to capture this for all to see shows off the best we have to offer.
“I have obtained my signature status in El Paso and one from New Mexico and have moved on to national shows and competitions.”
Darrell McGahhey
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