Darrell Underschultz

Darrell Underschultz was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1965. After showing an interest in drawing and painting at an early age, Darrell's parents enrolled him in art classes at the Edmonton Art Gallery. As a young person, much of his time was spent painting watercolour landscapes or drawing portraits of family and friends. Growing up on the prairies was an early influence on Darrell and his art, sparking the genesis of the theme of isolation, which recurs in his work to this day. 

Darrell received a diploma in Fine Arts from Grant MacEwan Community College in 1986 and then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia to continue his education at Emily Carr College of Art and Design. After graduating from Emily Carr with a diploma in Graphic Design in 1992, Darrell worked as an illustrator for several years before deciding to shift his focus to his fine art practice.

Darrell's paintings are included in numerous private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States, France and Switzerland.

Darrell's artistic process is both intuitive and methodical, a balancing act of orderly and expressive elements. He has become known for his signature landscapes that feature dramatic cloud forms saturated with luminous colour. These works are not concerned with representing realistic impressions of nature, but rather with capturing a mood or feeling. These scenes may suggest time and place but are not meant to be specific. While there are influences from historical artists such as J.M.W. Turner or Caspar David Friedrich in his work, Darrell's paintings still retain a contemporary aesthetic. His approach and use of materials creates a dialogue between the past and the present.