About DARLENE
Nov 10th, 2006 by darlene_artist
DARLENE’s artistic accomplishments over a lifetime cannot be easily categorized as her work and talents are multi-faceted. Before now, none has glimpsed the range of her diversity. During her career, DARLENE has sought to balance right and left brain functions–intuitive expression with the fruits of research and exacting detail. She’s joined together professional training and raw experience, discipline with freedom and invites you to see the fruits of her passion.
DARLENE’s creative disciplines include illustration, the book arts, computer art, photography, painting and writing.
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DARLENE was born in 1954 in Wisconsin. Her mother was an artist and there was never any question about following in her mother’s footsteps. In school, DARLENE excelled artistically and became one of the youngest members to join the Geneva Lake Arts Association. Her paintings were exhibited in all the local venues. Before DARLENE turned sixteen, she made her first professional gallery sale, a surrealistic painting of a human in the process of becoming a tree. Darlene graduated salutatorian from Elkhorn High School in 1972. She majored in art when she attended Beloit College and graduated in 1976 with honors.
DARLENE settled in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1977 and began doing medieval fantasy illustration for TSR, Inc. and The Dragon Magazine. DARLENE freelanced in the gaming/science fiction/fantasy market for six years and is mostly known for creating the World of Greyhawk map. Gary Gygax still thinks nothing has topped it. During this time, DARLENE also developed the first fantasy role-playing card game in existence, “Jasmine: The Battle For the Mid-Realm predating WofC’s claim (upon which they base their patent) by 10 years!
The art of calligraphy has also fascinated DARLENE and she spent some time in London pursuing its study. She learned the painstaking techniques of medieval manuscript gilding and illumination, book binding, paper making… also learned to cut her own quills and mix her own ink. DARLENE started teaching the principles of calligraphy at Gateway Technical Institute (and would continue to do so for many years). In 1979, she helped co-found The Wisconsin Calligrapher’s Guild and served as the first editor of its newsletter, Scriptsit.
The many artistic compositions she created at this time using calligraphy were widely exhibited. By 1981, her calligraphy was selected to appear in “International Calligraphy Today,” a traveling Exhibition of the world’s top calligraphers from 21 nations. During this time, DARLENE’s calligraphic work was published in many society journals, exhibition catalogs, and books. She took the summer of 1983 off and studied art in Cortona, Italy then returned to the states with a desire to learn all she could about design and was immediately accepted into the graduate program in graphics at Indiana University.
For several years, DARLENE became immersed in history. She investigated the development of calligraphic writing and alphabetic forms, the history of typography, design of type, bookbinding, the history of design. She also discovered she had a knack for photography. By the time she received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University in 1987, she was designing typefaces.
Darlene,
The work above is absolutely wonderful! Thanks so much for the card; I celebrate your newest venture and will be passing along the website to others.
Love & Blessings,
Rebecca-Joy
Darlene,
Just a note of hi from a fellow classmate, always loved your work. I’m here in LG and was doing some research and came across your site.
all the best
Mark Olivas
class of 1972
Hello Mark,
Yes, I remember you from EHS. How nice of you to drop me a line. Thank You for your kind regards. Hope you are doing well,
Smiles,
Darlene
Hello,
I stumbled upon your site while trying to answer a question about some art in an old module : R2 – The Investigation of Hydell. There was no credit for it, but I could manage to read “Darlene” on the scanned image I was sent. But I wanted to make sure it was you, and I found the answer on your “RPG biographical data” page…
I also saw art that took me back in 1980, when I began playing RPG. Yes, I’m still very fond of your work ! So I took a few minutes to send you this “hello” from far away…
Also, I would like to translate your bio in french – at least the beginning (seeing how long it is), so as to put it on the Grog (www.roliste.com), a french role-playing website of which I am one of the administrators. For we try to gather biographies of RPG authors, artists and translators… You can see our 1000+ bios (in french) at http://www.roliste.com/bios.jsp – that would be great to have yours as well !
Thank you for a small answer, even “no”, for I need your approval for this. And thank you for all your art and the good memories that go together !
Hervé
Hervé,
Yes, you have my permission to translate my biography in French and place it on your web-site. And Thank you.
Smiles,
Darlene.
Hello,
At last, your biography is online (in french), at http://www.roliste.com/bio.jsp?id=2434. It took me time, for I translated all, except for the last point (12th). I’d like to put a photo as well, but which one would you like te see on the bio page ? If you could give me a link… it needs to be at least 100 pixels wide, and it will be resized to 100 pixels.
The bio can be modified, completed (photo, date of birth…) or even deleted, at any time, just ask ! Hope I haven’t made too many mistakes translating.
By the way, if you know about other RPG authors or artists who would be interested, I would be glad to contact them and have their biography next to yours ! Gary Gygax gave his bio, but many others are missing…
Thanks again !
Hervé
Greetings Darlene,
I’ve been a fan of your work for years, but did not know who created TSR’s wizard face logo until I discovered your website yesterday. In regard to that logo, I have two questions:
Question 1: In two weeks I am getting my first tattoo, which will be the “wizard face” logo (sans the TSR lettering). I’ve scoured the internet for sources but the best I can find is a logo with the face that, once extracted, is only about 120px or so and is fairly pixelated. I tried re-rendering it with a vector-based program and though it looks fairly decent, I’m not an artist, and I’d like to provide the best quality pic that I can. I’m just curious if you happen to know of a site with a high-quality image of the logo (or just of the face itself) that you can share, or, if I may be so bold as to ask if you could e-mail me a copy, if you have one on hand. I’ll send you a HQ picture of the finished product (the tattoo, I mean), if you have any interest.
Question 2: I am the owner of http://www.tacticalstudiesrules.com, which will soon be a reference site for everything TSR. You’ll see that the banner that is currently in place on the site uses your “wizard face” logo. The banner has only been up for a month or two and since then, I’ve been trying to ascertain who the artist is in my spare time. Now that I know, my question is simply: may I use the picture for that purpose, as long as I am not making any money from the site? The website is non-profit (or less than that, as I make no money off of it, but pay for the registration and hosting) and I would be happy to reference your name and website. And if the website ever turns into a for-profit venture, I would revisit the terms of the use of the logo with you. I just want something identifiable with TSR, but not over-the-top and your logo fits the bill perfectly. If this is not acceptable, I certainly understand and will pull the banner, unless you have some other terms you want to discuss.
Thanks so much for your time and attention. I very much appreciate it. (Note that I would have sent this in a more private format, but I couldn’t find a contact e-mail and am not interested in a “linked” account. Thanks again.)
-dndgeek
Dear Ms. Artist:
You are deeply cool, though strange, and twisted. You should be the heir to Gary Gygax. He would want you, NOT his worthless second wife, to be his heir and successor.
Search your feelings. You know this to be true. Literally, ask yourself, “What do I feel about this?” This is what George Lucas meant in Star Wars.
The Force is with you, Darlene the Artist, but you are not a Jedi yet.
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
You are deeply cool, but strange, and twisted, and warped. This is deeply cool, and eminently acceptable.
My name is John Lee. My pen name, and true name is Kyrie Eleison. You are deeply cool. I hope to meet you someday. I am a fan of yours and love the work you did for AD&D, 1st edition.
You really are Gary Gygax’s true successor. He would want you to have control of TSR, ownership of TSR, and control and ownership of AD&D, 1st edition.
Lorraine Williams, a vile, low, evil woman, who sneered at gamers as being her social inferiors, stole TSR from Gary Gygax. She tricked him into believing that she was honorable and trustworthy. It was unavoidable–Gary Gygax did not understand her, but she understood him, and she understood herself. Gary Gygax did understand himself.
“Know thyself, know thy enemy, and in a thousand battles, thou canst fight without mortal peril.”
“All warfare is based on deception.”
The above is from Sun Tzu’s the Art of War, as translated by Samuel B. Griffith, a Brigadier General in the U.S. military.
Only his translation is correct; all the others are worthless.
Read it. You will take the world with it.
Be well.
I hope to meet you someday, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the birthplace of D&D, at a convention there someday.
Write back to me if you have any questions.
I’m a god of D&D, and a god of intellect, and a god of war. If you have any questions, ask me.
Take care.
Be well.
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
The true canon for AD&D is as follows:
The Monster Manual, by Gary Gygax
The Players Handbook, by Gary Gygax
The Dungeon Masters Guide, by Gary Gygax
The Deities and Demigods, uncut, by Gary Gygax
All of the above must be with the original science fiction and fantasy art, NOT the ugly realist art of later editions.
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
Here is a proposal for an AD&D campaign:
The World of Eternal Twilight
by John Lee
The world is near dead. In 40 years, the world will be dead. Your world, Aerth, or Alternate Earth, is slowly being poisoned by a cabal of evil Mind Flayers, or Illithids.
Their dark god, Tharizdun, Lord of Horror, is trapped in a demiplane, Gehenna, in the middle of the world. To free him, the world must be killed.
No one knows of this. All the intuitively sensitive people sense something is wrong, and that the world is in deep trouble.
Your mission is to save the world. You have 40 years.
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
Here is a proposal for an AD&D module:
Supreme Eternal Bliss Monastery
a 1st – 3rd level module, AA1
Long ago, and far away, in another universe, in another time, in another place, a great monastery, Supreme Eternal Bliss Monastery, was founded by the Lord of Supreme Eternal Bliss Monastery, Cho-jin, 1st, to help seekers attain cosmic bliss and unity. They wanted to understand the universe, and to save it.
The monks worked endlessly to attain cosmic bliss and cosmic unity and universal understanding. They never got it, but they did tremendous good deeds, and did much good for the world. It was founded 20,000 years ago, in another world, in another time, in another place.
Unfortunately, it had to end. 5,000 years ago, the last lord of Supreme Eternal Bliss Monastery, let it go, and abandoned it. Why? Because they realized cosmic bliss was not worthy–bliss just means constant happiness. So they let it go.
The monastery was abandoned. The world changed. The shape of the world changed. But the monastery was built to last for eternity. It is still there, in a new world, a new universe, a new place, a new time.
It is located in what is now called the Star Mountains. A small village, Star’s Peak Village, is nearby. The village is poor, but honorable. The inhabitants eke out a living as farmers. The terrain is hard, but sustainable. They make a subsistence living. They work hard, and live honorable, though poor lives. There is some trade with the distant Great Star City. A caravan passes by every six months, and they conduct trade.
The villagers are all honorable, and courageous.
Supreme Eternal Bliss Monastery is seen as an ancient ruin, and a forbidden place. There is said to be inhuman danger there. The villagers avoid it, though they know it was once a Good place.
The players start out in Star’s Peak Village. They know there is inhuman danger in Supreme Eternal Bliss Monastery. Strange, unhuman, unholy things have taken residence in the monastery after it was deserted. Unholy things live there. Also, the monastery is extensive.
Above ground, is the monastery proper. There, the monks trained, and engaged in meditation, and in exercise. The training hall is there, along with the death test chambers. The death test chambers are for graduate initiate monks. They must pass through 36 chambers, and survive, and come out intact, to be considered a true monk.
The death test is not given unless the initiate monk is certain to pass, and is worthy.
Underneath the monastery proper is the monastery dungeon. The dungeon is 20 levels deep. The monks constantly dug deeper, in an attempt to achieve harmony with and understanding of the universe.
Unfortunately, an evil outer planar creature created a gate between its plane, the Plane of Ultimate Horror, and the 20th level of the dungeon, after the monastery was abandoned.
There is great, inhuman treasure in the dungeon–the outer planar beings brought their treasure with them.
There is unspeakable danger there.
At the bottom of the dungeon is the ultimate treasure–the Book of Ultimate War–if you open it and master it, you can find a way to win any war, any struggle.
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
Here is a proposal for another AD&D module:
Eternal Horror
by John Lee
A module for 4th – 8th level characters, AA2
Great Cthulhu has transported his city of R’lyeh to Alternate Earth.
It is located in the Sea of Ultimate Nightmare.
There, he parties endlessly, with his children, the Star Spawn, and his friend Hastur, and Hastur’s children, the Unholy Things.
Great Cthulhu is alien, strange, and beautiful. He is a rape monster–he is sad that others do not let him rape them–very sad.
He parties madly. Hastur is stern, and very dignified. He considers rape to be undignified. He prefers cannibalization. He considers it more dignified.
The Star Spawn just party madly. The Unholy Things just stand around, being stern.
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
Here is a proposal for another AD&D module:
The Doors of Life and Death
by John Lee
a module for 8th – 12th level characters, AA3
You have been sent by the Unknown Force to a corridor. Behind you, the corridor stretches to infinity, and never ends. Before you are two doors. Above the door to the left is written the word, “Life”. Above the door to the right is written the word, “Death.” What do you do?
John Lee
Dear Ms. Artist:
The world is won. Good has won, and Evil has lost, completely, and forever.
Morgoth and Sauron have been taken out.
Welcome to the new world.
John Lee
Dear Darlene,
You are hopelessly cool, and hopelessly idealistic, and hopelessly artistic. Do not deny this.
You were right to change your name to Darlene the Artist. It just fits you, and is objectively right for you, for experiential reasons.
Go and publish AD&D, and make it come alive again.
John Lee
Dear Darlene,
The Force is strong with you, Darlene, but you are not a Jedi yet.
John Lee
Dear Darlene,
We meet again. The circle is now complete. When last we left, you were but a student. Now you are a master.
Congratulations.
John Lee
Dear Darlene,
Congratulations. You will do well.
Go out and rule TSR.
John Lee
John Lee,
You are an interesting fellow who seems to be as “crazy” as I am… ; )
I happen to be a non-ordinary person living a non-ordinary life. How strange and wonderful is this world of ours. As more and more people conform to the fear-induced staus quo, by comparison, I appear more outlandish.
Best Wishes,
Darlene
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Dear Darlene
You have been an enigma to me since 1984, when I first saw the illustration of the succubus in the 1st Edition DMG, with a “Darlene” signature underneath.
At last I can know more about you
You have been an inspiration to me for all these years!
God bless you, and I wish you a long and happy life.
Your fan.
Ralph.
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