David R. Darrow - Biography

Fred Fixler

In 1988 I began studying figure drawing under a great teacher, Fred Fixler, at the two-room California Art Institute in Calabassas, CA-- a school which has transferred to other hands, and is now in another city. Fred was a magnificent teacher, with a love for all the rock-solid basics of drawing—with the philosophy that "if you can learn to see and draw values, edges and proportions, painting will come to you automatically." I agree.

I have also benefitted immeasurably from long conversations with Morgan Weistling, and hours of scrutiny of his paintings. Morgan, a close friend since 1990, has been an invaluable resource of information—and a really good sport. He has been an inspiration to me since the day I first saw his work.

Check my Other page for a link to his website.

Artistic Roots

I was born in 1957 to Bob and Doris Darrow, who already had two daughters. My father, who passed away in 2005, got his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Caltech. My mom went to Biola College, though she'd always wanted to attend Art Center School — the school that eventually became the college that I attended.

I showed some distinct signs of being artistically inclined. As this photo from 1959 shows, I was a snappy dresser, and carried my art supplies with me at all times... in my cheeks.