ABOUT ME |
I have always been an artist and I have always loved horses...My name is Darynn.
I grew up in a small town surrounded by the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As a child I lived the rural lifestyle centered by nature and my favourite animal companions. These pets were my closest friends, companions and muse for my creative mind. The horse has always been specifically more inspiring than the rest. Throughout my entire life I have had a strong connection and bond to their being. This admiration is the strongest and most consistent theme among my life’s work. 
I studied for two years at VFS enrolling in Foundations of Art and Design & 3D Animation and VFX. Through the course of these two years, I explored myself, my art and fell in love with every aspect of creating. It was challenging, but so rewarding. My second-year project “From Here To” went on to be screened at the International Vancouver Film Festival and toured around the world. I was not only able to create characters, but provoke emotion to my audience.
I carried these skills for the next two years into a career within the industry. I worked on TV Show Veggie Tales, Dinotrux & Monster High, TV feature Nickelodeon’s Lucky and Netflix's full length feature film The Willoughby’s. Though exciting, I found myself bouncing around contract to contract. It was not the stability I was hoping for. I struggled to find comfort within the city. I missed my horses, the physical world, the mountains and my family. Being bound to a computer was not healthy for my mind or my soul. In 2017, amidst these trying times, I stumbled back into the world of Model Horses. This was a passion I had growing up, but I did not realize the full potential of the hobby until adulthood. Lacking the real horse connection day to day and the physical art forms that made me into the artist I am today. Model Horses were the perfect solution. It was an instant love like no other. I shared my journey on social media just for fun, but soon it garnered several followers, friendships and mentors. I was able to sell my work to collectors and start a tutorial YouTube channel. 
Art has given me a voice...I do not know where my arts will take me next, it is constantly evolving and changing. I will always continue to chase my dreams, start projects that push my abilities and challenge my favourite mediums.
This is my purpose. I am so glad you are here. Thank you for visiting, reading, and admiring my work Feel free to contact me with inquiries, questions or comments - Darynn |
In my teenage years I would draw as much as I could. I would come home from school and get lost in the imaginative worlds I could create. It became a form of escapism to life's challenges or overwhelming emotions.
As I matured, I did not limit myself to any particular medium. I began experimenting with charcoal, paints and ink. I became fascinated with all the forms of expression: digital arts, film, photography, writing, sculpting, sewing, dance. I would try anything, because it freed my soul in a way I could not shake. I developed a strong interest in photo realistic drawing using graphite and charcoal. My passion quickly turned these portraits into a business where I was able to sell my work locally. I was commissioned to draw people’s pets from 2010-2014. It was an exciting time. I started entering these works into fairs and competitions to see how it compared to the rest of the world. To my surprise it did quite well. I was fortunate enough to receive first prize in the Canada wide Royal Canadian Legion Poster Contest and was invited to Ottawa to meet the highest representatives of Canada. My art was taking me places I could have never dreamed. Turning art into a business was a natural progression, but not exactly what I wanted for my future. So naturally I picked the post secondary route but in an artistic way. I enrolled in Vancouver Film School in the fall of 2014. I decided to move away from my beloved family, and animal counterparts to start a new chapter in the big city. 
In 2019, I made the heartbreaking decision to quit my dream and move back to my hometown. Instantly my world opened up again, and the desire to build and create my own business came back with vengeance. This business allowed me to step back from the conventional 9-5 day job and find my life's purpose.
Teaching others this type of artwork and staying true to my heart's purpose and desires evolved into a full time career by the time I turned 25. And the best part having it entirely center around my favourite animals. Since 2022, I have been pursuing art full time and have not looked back. I have successfully worked for Breyer, completed several Sold-Out original sculpture editions and have an extensive waitlist for commissions. My work resides in collector's homes all over the world. Once again, I do not limit myself to just one medium. I also run a sticker shop, offer graphic design, custom portraiture and other exciting projects. All of the skills I have learned over the years funnel into my work and have landed me exactly where I am meant to be. There is nothing more fulfilling than this... There is nothing I love more than this... This is for the love of the horse... Now nestled in the Rocky Mountains for good, I live with my husband, Golden Retriever Lilo and Quarter Horse Gelding Drifter. Our home is equipped with a 500 square foot art studio with display for my extensive collection and artworks. When not creating, I can be found hitting the trails and trick training my animals. 
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education2022 | Sculpting Workshop with Lynn Fraley & Rayvin Maddock
2016 | Vancouver Film School 3D Animation & Visual Effects Diploma with Honours 2015 | Vancouver Film School Foundations of Art & Design Diploma with Honours |
awards2024 | 2nd Place Stone Horses Art of the Horse Contest 'Drastic' with Mayble
2021 | 2nd Place Breyer Best Custom Contest 'Most Extreme' with Denali 2016 | From Here To Film screening at VIF 2014 | 1st Prize National Royal Canadian Legion Poster Contest 2014 | Best Director, Cinematography, Sound/Mixing, and Best Overall Film in 607 Film Festival Mania 2011 | 2nd Place Worldwide Kids Drawing Contest |
publication2024 | BreyerFest Tutorial Seeing Spots & In Person Workshop
2023 | Breyer Fun Day Live Stream Painting a Chestnut 2023 | Shaw Cable Interview 2022 | BreyerFest Tutorial Keeping the Vibe Alive 2021 | BreyerFest Tutorial Stablemate Switcheroos 2020 | JAH Magazine article Creating Bacillus 2019 | Breyer Fun Day Live Stream & Tutorial Creating a Leopard Appaloosa 2015 | The Trail of Painted Ponies The Artist 2014 | Legion Magazine 2013 | Western Horse Review Magazine 2012 | Shaw Cable Interview |
