TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For Tucson-based artist, Darby Maldonado, the desert isn’t just the place she calls home, it’s what fuels her creativity.
“A lot of people see the desert as bleak and hot and dirt, that’s all they see,” said Maldonado.
But for the 26-year-old artist, the desert is what inspires the majority of her artwork.
“Just looking out the window and seeing the bobcats outside, the javelina outside, the cactus and pretty trees and sunsets…a lot of the sunsets,” she said.
She’s been painting and drawing for as long as she can remember. About six years ago, she began focusing on digital art.
Over the years, she’s enjoyed working with local organizations whenever possible.
“It’s just really cool to be able to interact with everyone else here in Tucson and see what my artwork is doing, where it’s going,” Maldonado said.
She now hosts art classes, helping other Tucsonans express themselves artistically.
“It essentially just makes it where people who want to be creative, but don’t have a way to get started – they can come in, choose a figure, go through all the paint and just take what’s in their head and turn it into a creation,” she explained.
Most recently, she won an art contest with Discover Marana. Her artwork of the Ironwood Forest National Monument will now be produced as stickers, featured in the town’s visitor guide, and will be viewed across digital platforms.
“I just thought it’d be something fun to do. I wasn’t necessarily expecting to win,” she said. “So when I got the email, I was like, ‘That’s my name right there, how cool is that?’”
For her mom, Kathy Hagen, she’s seen this creativity in her daughter from a very young age.
“I just swell up with pride,” Hagen said. “It’s amazing to know that that’s my daughter that’s doing that.”
Her goal is to continue working with local organizations while showcasing the beauty of the desert.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
