Born in 1977, Colin Darke is a contemporary watercolorist—he received comprehensive training in watercolor painting and has developed a unique and powerful style. In describing his art, The Detroit News said Colin employs “a bold, colorful style reminiscent of the German Expressionists.” He shows extensively throughout Michigan, and in 2010 Rackstraw Downes, a 2009 MacArthur Fellow, selected one of Colin’s pieces for the 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition at the Bowery Gallery in New York City. Colin has also illustrated for the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Arts-Detroit.

He received a BFA Degree with an emphasis in watercolor painting from Western Michigan University (students are juried into this program and Colin primarily studied under watercolorist Professor Lou Rizzolo—he also studied Chinese calligraphy at this time, which influenced his brushwork).

Colin currently shows at the Detroit-based art gallery Live Coal Gallery . Additionally, his artistic practice includes writing art reviews and interviewing other artists. He has written for the highly influential Brooklyn based art blog Hyperallergic , and he is a cultural critic for The Huffington Post . He has also written for the Art:21 Magazine , which is part of the Peabody Award winning PBS Art:21 – Art in the 21st Century project. Colin also writes for the new Detroit-based arts journal infinite mile .