fig® - Downtown Lancaster

"Living Water" by Seth Darnall

Seth Darnall does not use brushes. Instead, he uses his hands to create intricate, layered paintings that have adorned the walls of Picasso and other Media establishments. Seth started off tracing drawings as a child, which evolved into comic books; eventually he started painting. After a brief stint creating films, his family encouraged him to return to painting, which Seth describes as cathartic.

The Media-born artist says his paintings can take anywhere from 8 to 15 hours to complete because he edits while he paints. Seth doesn’t ever have anything in mind when he sets out to create a painting, but if he is dissatisfied with something, he covers it and keeps going. His editing and layering create beautiful paintings that sometimes take him days to finish before he’s completely content with what he’s created.

Seth’s paintings often feature circular patterns. When I brought this up to him in our conversation, the reason he cited for the patterns is the way his hands move. “A swirl is a line that doesn’t leave me or the canvas.” They are never-ending, and they have endless possibilities. Check out this video of Seth creating his painting “So” to see his hands at work:

Seth frequently shows his work in Media and has been a part of quite a few of Media Arts Council’s 2nd Saturday Art Strolls. His work is will be on display at Town Hall Coffee in Merion Station starting in June.

Seth Darnall's work was on display recently at Picasso Restaurant and Bar on State Street.

For more information about Seth, to see more pictures of his works, and to see more videos of Seth’s creative process, visit his website and YouTube page.

—Nina J. Davidson

Nina is an aspiring novelist and New Jersey native. A little over a year ago, she moved to Media, and it has been the best decision she has ever made. She finds great joy in living here and tells everyone she meets about the magic of Media. Nina is honored to share her love of Media through this blog. She looks forward to meeting more artists and sharing their stories with you here on a biweekly basis.