Gallery
Darby Hunter’s Story:
I was born in 1998 in Tucson Arizona. I grew up in a super crafty and artistic family, my mom doing cross stitching and my dad drawing. I was always highly encouraged to be artistic and I spent all my free time drawing, painting or sculpting. I have fond memories of using my grandpa’s 1970s Berol Prismacolor colored pencils and my dads half used sketch pad, would lay on the floor drawing my cats or sit out in the backyard and draw cars or desert plants.
After I graduated high school and started crafting and painting more often. I did a lot of desert landscape art and crafting with my step dad being a huge supporter, my step dad bought me an iPad to start my digital art journey. When my step dad passed in 2021, Art really became a way to cope with his passing and I wrote and illustrated a whole educational book in his memory. My step dad, Dr. Timothy Krone, was a very generous person and I wanted to keep that up in honor of him. I’ve donated art to the Hermitage no kill cat shelter and all proceeds go towards the cats. I’ve also made art for the United way youth program to help with Tucson youth. Donating art to help others has really made me appreciate art even more and I will always be looking for more ways to help those around me...
The Tucson Gallery Asked Each Artist The Same Questions To Get To Know Them Better
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Tucson Arizona!
Tell us about your family
None of my family is originally from Arizona , my mom and dad met in North Carolina while my mom was in college becoming a veterinary technician and my dad joined the Air Force and worked on A-10’s, the military moved my parents out to Davis monthan in the mid 90’s after my dad was deployed in Desert storm. I was born here in Tucson in 1998 and my younger brother was born in 2003.
My step dad was a veterinarian who graduated from Michigan state university and moved to Tucson Arizona in the early 2000’s to escape the cold and continue with his other career of being a pilot.
My brother is a car mechanic who gets roped into helping me with my art projects quite often. I have him help with my big projects. He is the muscle behind my crazy ideas and he maintains my car so I can go to craft fairs!
And My fiancé Alberto, he is a first generation American. He has been super supportive through my journey of being an artist and loves telling everyone about what project I’m working on next. Alberto is the man who helps me set up for all my craft fairs by loading/unloading my tables and tents. He also helps come up with some fun ideas for designs!
Do you have pets, if yes, tell us about them ?
Of course! With my mom and step dad both being in the animal care field I always had animals at home. I grew up with cats , dogs , guinea pigs , rats , mice , leopard geckos and
chameleons all of them being rescues that ended up coming home with them from the clinics. I currently have 4 cats: Theodorious , Nuri , Mango tango and Gray goose, 2 Dobermans: Hershie and Dresden , 2 Guinea pigs: Otis and Zeus and a chameleon named Kiwi! I love them all much more than words!
When did you know that you would be an artist ?
Ever since I was a kid! Art called my name and with how much of my time I spent doing Art I just knew I would go places with it
What is your favorite media to work with?
I love acrylic paint on canvas, I grew up painting on cheap canvases so it really brings me back to my roots to paint on canvas! I also really like digital art, It’s great for when I travel, I can just pack my iPad in my backpack and never miss a beat when I dream up a great idea for a piece!
What do you do when you’re not doing your art?
You can always catch me with a cat in my lap and a dog on my side! I love to watch informational videos and crime shows while snuggled up with the fur babies.