Darren Wallace is a Palmerston North artist who grew up in Dannevirke. 

As a child Darren drew his favourite comic book characters. His teen years saw him capturing the likeness of celebrities and people he knew in his exaggerated caricature style. Studying technical drawing through to UE Darren developed strong skills in accuracy and perspective. 

For the last 14 years Darren has focused on realism with mainly pencil and paint. A recent global pandemic has catapulted Darren into making his art a career. With a strong calendar of commission work he has produced a heartwarming portfolio of people & pet portraiture. 

Talking to Darren about the recent string of fur friend commissions he reflected, "My greatest passion is capturing the likeness and personality of people and their pets. My Dad used to own a pet shop in Dannevirke, so we always had a variety of animals at our family home including a dog, cat, parrots, even white albino rats. I love animals and their relationship with people."

You can see how well Darren captures characters, and also the emotions of those who open their art for a first viewing on his social media.

Photo: November 2020 Art Trail Manawatu