Darlene (she/her) grew up in the Hamlet of Claremont, Ontario, lived 11 years in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and currently resides north of Kingston, Ontario. She has four grown children and recently retired from her career as a Geological Engineer. Tai chi, cycling, kayaking, and playing with her grand-daughter in the vegetable garden fill her spare time. An avid learner, Darlene has dabbled in a variety of artistic endeavors since childhood, sewing, drawing, gathering and painting rocks, collecting found objects and “rusty things”. She recently returned to pottery classes, an interest she began 25 years ago in Fredericton. The organic movement and aroma of honey attracts her to encaustic painting. Darlene completed her first bed-size quilt during university and has been a member of her local quilt guilds since the 1990’s, including ten years in several executive positions. She enjoys creating art quilts, modern quilts, fabric painting and dyeing, and eco dying using upcycled cotton bed linens and linen table cloths. Darlene holds the Textile Design certificate from Saint Lawrence College in Kingston.