Darlene Klister
AND FIRELIGHT DESIGNS
"Art (in any form) is my passion. Creating art feeds my soul. It is magic."
Darlene's love of nature, the environment and life comes through in her creativity. Colors and textures from nature are inspirations for her works. Art in one form or another has always been a part of her life.
She first became creative by painting in oils, then watercolor and mixed media. She has always been fascinated with using color, shape and texture in painting or in three-dimensional art. Her love of animals comes through in her paintings and jewelry. "I love painting animal portraits. I like to meet the animal, take a lot of photographs, experience the animal's personality, favorite hang-outs, toys. Then I use these elements to create a painting that contains the essence of the animal I'm bringing alive through my creative process." Animals of all sorts appear in her metal work. Curious about everything art, she has also taken blacksmithing classes!
FireLight Designs also offers one of a kind jewelry Darlene designs. Whether it is a necklace, bracelet, earrings, or another wearable creation, no other person will own such a uniquely designed piece of art. "I bring color, texture and design from my paintings into my jewelry designs, and combine elements in ways you won't see in other jewelry. Working with metal and making jewelry is in my genes; my grandfather was a blacksmith (maybe that is why I really love to hammer metal), and my mom dabbled in making jewelry when she was young. I have a pair of flat nose pliers and round nose pliers that belonged to her and I use them all the time!”
She obtained a bachelors degree cum laude in art history and philosophy, has studied botanical illustration, and has participated in numerous painting, jewelry making and metal arts workshops along the way. Memberships have included the Spokane Watercolor Society, the Northwest Watercolor Society, the Skagit Art Association, and Allied Arts of Whatcom County. In December 2019, Darlene was appointed to the Anacortes Arts Commission by Mayor Laurie Gere. FireLight Designs is a business Darlene started in 2001.
The meaning behind the name “Firelight Designs”
“To me, Firelight Designs and dragonflies just seem to go together. Dragonflies are iridescent at special times of day in the right light when they glow, hence firelight, short, fleeting and then they are gone! Firelight sounds light, just like a dragonfly – have you ever watched them float, dart, and dance through the air? Dragonflies fly forward, backward, hover, speed off at seemingly the speed of light! Effortless, weightless, and filled with light.
Dragonflies are reminders that we are light. We can reflect light and energy in powerful ways if we just decide that's what we want or need to do. Perhaps you need more lightness in your life? That is what I have tried to accomplish with Firelight Designs. Whether it is teaching, completing a commission for a customer by telling their story through a painting or piece of jewelry, or metalwork, or even when I'm at a show, I try to incorporate grace, nature, lightness, energy and a delicate strength in my art.
Through Firelight Designs I bring the passion, poise, color, mysterious ethereal quality, and energy of the dragonfly to all that I create. As you follow my art, I will go into this concept in more depth. In the meantime, marvel in the mystery of the dragonfly!”
-Darlene