S E M I - A B S T R A C T E D
S P I R I T E D L A N D S C A P E

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ABOUT DARLENE A O C A

Darlene Kulig was awarded the CSEA/Berol Prismacolour National Art Scholarship awarded to six Canadian students entering Fine Arts based on outstanding potential in visual arts. Graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design she quickly moved into a commercial setting and within four years of graduating was running her own successful design studio.

Darlene began painting full time ten years ago. Her work utilizes synthesis or stylization - an approach that came into Eurocentric art from Japan in the mid 1800’s. Many of Canada’s great landscape painters (Lawren Harris being an obvious example) have done this. Darlene makes her approach her own by using strong (high key) colour and uniting smaller shapes into larger more powerful areas by controlling her values. Her love of the beauty available in the Canadian landscape is clear. What is especially impressive is that she has developed a unique very personal approach that "feels" Canadian.

TorontoHOME and Ottawa Life Magazine have featured Darlene’s award winning work, showcasing her vibrant, coast to coast Canadian landscapes. Global Affairs Canada has installed a selection of Kulig Canadian Landscapes in Canadian Embassies buildings in North America, Europe, the Middle East. and South America and The Mayo clinic has Darlene’s work hanging in the Rochester Clinic. Pomegranate Communications has licensed Darlene’s work to be reproduced as contemporary Canadian content in their international product line. Pomegranate products can be found in the MOMA, The British Museum, The National Gallery of Canada and AGO.

Currently, Darlene is focusing her creative efforts full time on developing a recognizable, signature Kulig Canadian landscape as well as traveling with an eye for her next painting series. The award winning Rocky Mountaineer has commissioned Darlene to ride and paint the Rocky Mountains for an upcoming Canadian Rockies series to be completed this fall. A member of the Etobicoke Art Group and Neilson Park Creative Centre where she studies and paints, you can find her work in galleries across Canada and the United States as well as private collections around the world.

UPCOMING CHARITY EVENTS
May 31 Ottawa Life Magazine Mizrahi Ride for Cure Art Event in memory of Craig Kulig
June 1 Camp Ooch Painted Paddle Auction

SHOWS
John B Aird Juried Drawing Show, Toronto. 2008
The Gallery of Caribbean Art, Barbados WI. December, 2010
33rd VAM Juried Show, Art Gallery of Mississauga. February, 2011
Living Rock, Building Foundations for Youth, Art Auction, Hamilton, May 2011
Curry's Charitable Art Auction "Hang Art, Lift Hearts", Liberty Grand, Toronto, October 2011
Kingsway Lambton United Church Art Show, April, 2012
Bartlett Gallery, Alton Hills, January 2013
"Variations" Group Show, Great Hall Gallery, Fleming College, May 2013
Bended Spoons Gallery, Toronto, June 2013
Gilda's Club Charity Art Auction, Toronto, June 2013
Art Gallery of Hamilton Art & Design Show, May 2014
WINNER Etobicoke Art Group Juried Show, Etobicoke Civic Centre, May 2014
Westmount Gallery, Toronto, Solo Show, August 2014
Spider Jones Believe to Acheive Charity Event, November 2015
Artist Project, February 2016
TorontoHOME Magazine feature article:
Buckingham FIne Art, Uxbridge Art Show with Don Cavin
Etobicoke Art Group Juried Show 2017, FIRST PRIZE Award Winner