The artist
A lifetime of turning observation into art.
Phil Darst paints for the visual pleasure of others, inviting memories, thought, and the beauty of nature into everyday rooms.
About Phil
Born in Elkhart, Indiana in 1938, Phil began drawing and coloring at an early age. He received oil-painting lessons at ten and joined a college art class at fifteen. As a high-school senior, after winning local and state competitions, he was given a one-man show.
Phil studied fine arts at Ball State University before training in interior design at Kendall School of Design. Throughout his working life in design, furniture sales, and management, he continued to paint for his own enjoyment, at art shows, and in galleries.
After retiring to Florida, Phil settled near Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota. He walks the beaches, sketches, and photographs the wildlife and people that become the starting point for his beach and ocean scenes. Today, he continues to paint daily and add new work often.
Artists who have influenced Phil’s work
El Greco, Salvador Dalí, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Andrew Wyeth, Eric Sloane, Stefan Baumann, Tim Packard, Samuel Earp, Andrew Tischler, Michael James Smith, Jenny Grevatte, and Brian Rutenberg.