Appreciation for Darren Sears

Why am I drawn to the artwork created by San Francisco artist Darren Sears? What is so compelling in his
fractured, surreal landscapes? Am I calmed by the green and blue colors that often dominate his canvases? Do I
drop into his strange environments or do I feel like a bystander trying to understand something that is strangely
familiar?

I cannot answer my own questions, I only know that his creations are beautiful, and I never grow tired of
looking at them. Each piece is its own story—its own dream—its own enchanted landscape. As a person who
loves to travel—see new things, meet people, eat unfamiliar foods—I appreciate that inspiration seems to come
from places he has visited: The Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia—The Bahamas—Iceland—Tasmania—and many others. But in addition to the beauty that he seeks, finds, and creates, I also see his sharp intelligence and focus on the environment and environmental issues. His work is complex and—again that word—compelling.

I know from his website that he is a landscape design architect who took a break from his profession in 2016,
choosing to focus on his worldviews. As I subscriber to his blog, I gain greater insights into his thinking about
topics like urban landscapes. But I don’t typically delve deeply into his work, despite my overarching questions.
Mostly, I just scroll through his online galleries, imagining that I eventually will own one of these magical
pieces.

https://www.darrensears.com/oilandwatercolor

Sanctuary, watercolor on layered paper, 15”x15.”