Creative Spirit
The work of Dene artist Darrell Chocolate
Darrell Chocolate doesn't remember a time when he wasn't drawing.
Art has been a constant thread woven through his life, beginning in his earliest childhood days in Gamètì, a small and close-knit Tłı̨chǫ community located about halfway between Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories.
His early inspirations came from his older brother who loved to draw, from the vibrant colours his sister used when filling in her Disney colouring books, from his mom's colourful beadwork and from Mr. Dressup, a Canadian television show starring Ernie Coombs.
"That drawing board he would use to draw characters — that always inspired me as a kid watching TV in the early 90s," Darrell said.
He spent his childhood playing all the typical kid games, such as tag or hide-and-seek (which often involved the whole town), but he always found time to draw.
"I was always sketching, even as a six-year-old. I always knew how to draw," he said. "At school, kids would surround my desk and watch me draw."
And as he got older, he would stay home more often to work on his art.
His gift for art was evident early on and in high school, he was referred to as 'the artist.' He would sketch and draw for his friends — they would often ask him to draw athletes they admired and saw in magazines. He says these early works helped him hone his drawing technique.
Despite his dream of going to art school, Darrell ended up moving to Yellowknife and working in the diamond mines, and for many years, his art became just a hobby.
Then in 2009, a colleague asked him to do a painting of him and his wife for their upcoming anniversary. And even though he'd never used acrylic paints before, Darrell rose to the challenge. The portrait turned out really well and it inspired him to keep going. Paint became his medium and creating portraits of people's loved ones became his passion.
Completely self-taught, Darrell says it has taken him years of practice to get to where he is today.
"Painting is what I love doing," he says. "It is my passion. I could just sit in my studio, listening to music and painting for hours."
His work now consists of commissioned pieces (which are usually portraits of people) as well as works from his own inspiration that comes from the northern landscape.
He paints symbols of the north — the Northern Lights, caribou, bear and wolf — because this is what people request most often.
Darrell's bold, bright use of colours and his realistic portrayals of people and animals are profoundly moving.
"People describe my work as vibrant. I've heard that more than once," he said humbly.
In person, Darrell is soft-spoken, kind, and measured. He takes seriously his responsibility to capture the essence of his subject and he prides himself on creating something special that is meaningful to others.
"It is very rewarding to see the finished product," he says.
Just as rewarding for Darrell is seeing his passion for art passed on to the next generation.
All five of his children love to draw — "our dining room table is covered in art" — and recently, Darrell had the opportunity to visit their schools and teach art to all the students.
"The kids really loved it," he said. Each child was given a canvas, brushes and paint. He had them follow along with step-by-step instructions to draw landscapes. It was a hit.
"Some of the kids enjoyed it so much, they went home and told their parents all about Mr. Chocolate and his art," he said. "They asked me to come back."
Just as he was in his childhood, Darrell is happiest surrounded by kids and art.
Darrell currently lives in Yellowknife. You can purchase Darrell's artwork or commission a portrait by visiting his website.
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