Darren Mitchell was born in Hay, NSW. He immediately reflects on growing up in Hay, elaborating he wouldn’t have swapped it for the world. This is where he was exposed to the simple rural remote life of living in a small town in Western NSW. From a farming and equestrian family, Darren loved the life on the land. Riding horses was everyday life for the Mitchell family, where they excelled in the equestrian arena at a state and national level. Other fond memories for Darren were helping his father, who was a successful sheep husbandry contractor across the western state of NSW and into Victoria.
The colour of the outback was imbedded in his veins and this was the inspiration of wanting to become an artist. He was in awe of the local fauna, livestock, waterways and the arid landscape.
The diversity of Darren’s employment is particularly interesting. In the late 1980’s, at the age of 16, Darren’s first paid Job was being the local cartoonist for the Hay Riverina Grazier. Through this exposure as a young artist, Darren was then introduced to a successful local oil painter, Norman Connor. He taught Darren how to use the medium correctly and it wasn’t long after he started, Darren was selling his own paintings and getting awards at art shows across the Riverina.
After Darren left school, he went Jackarooing and at the same time, he studied to be a wool classer. As a wool classer, Darren did this seasonally for 20 years, with in between doing contract stock work and fencing, which included working in Western Queensland around Longreach and the Channel country. Darren then returned to the Riverina and personally got involved with running the famous, Conargo Pub, where he left the business after 3 years.
With the inconsistent seasons becoming more prevalent, especially drought, this was significantly impacting Darren’s income of working on the land. A family friend knowing Darren was struggling financially, encouraged him to apply for domestic position at the Jerilderie Hospital. Darren was successful in attaining the role, which shortly followed by Darren winning a scholarship to be an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse with NSW Health. For a couple of years Darren worked in numerous hospitals around the Jerilderie District, with at the same time he was doing extra studies. Darren then was successful of getting employed as an Adult Mental Health Clinician at Deniliquin. He remained in the role for 10 years until Darren was employed in his current role of 8 years as the regional team leader for foster carer recruitment.
Darren stating “Yeah, I have done a bit of everything, working in shearing sheds, chasing cattle, nursing and running a pub. Anyway, here is my first serious go at trying to be an artist in 20 years! I did sell a few as a young bloke, but it just took one dissatisfied buyer and a few other tribulations at the time, I decided to throw the brushes in the shed which I thought was forever. Nonetheless, life changes, especially as I was a very traditional oil painter, using very conservative colours, as taught…but I now have decided to stuff tradition and use every colour on the palate. I love painting in an impasto style and love for the first-time using Acrylics. I hope you enjoy the colour and style I use.”
Daz