Local artist Darian Stewart recently completed his third mural located at the Happy Hippie in Hardy, Arkansas.
Stewart developed a love of art at a young age working with his grandfather on various projects, as he aged, Stewart said he gives credit to a former teacher, Melissa Floyd for helping his talent to develop and thrive.
“I started art when I was young, but it developed in high school with my art teacher who is now the assistant principal at the Highland School District,” Stewart said. “She inspired me to keep pushing into art and help me develop my skills to go to college for art.”
A graduate of Arkansas State University, Stewart attended earning a degree in fine arts with an emphasis in painting, as well as a fine arts degree with an emphasis in graphic design.
“This is my third mural and the first fence I have done. I painted two murals in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The first was for a class I took in the summer of 2016 and it was a lion mural on Union Street,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the mural was a collaborative project with his professor at the time who created the artwork.
“She had about 10 art students and some more advanced painters who did the upper portion. It was a cool project,” Stewart said.
The second mural is one that Stewart was requested to do by a father who owns an apartment complex in Jonesboro.
“A man reached out to me and hired me to do a portrait of his son on a wall at a privately owned apartment complex. It has a galaxy behind it with some floral designs and is a tribute to his son,” Stewart said.
The third and most recently completed large-scale project is inHardy on the side and backside of the Happy Hippie.
The bright colors paired with retro and modern themes are a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
“It is an Alice in Wonderland meets the hippie theme. It has the landscape of Hardy and I wanted it to include diversity,” Stewart said. “I wanted to pull from different time frames. For example, it features a hippie from the 1970s versus what a modern-day hippie would be considered.”
The wall and fence feature figures seen in Alice in Wonderland and is in keeping with the theme of the business on which it is located.
“There are pieces that incorporate the town and community such as the canoes on the river,” Stewart said.
When asked about the planning and design process Stewart said the planning process began approximately six months ago.
“I looked at the building and spoke to the owner about six months ago. I noticed when she was preparing to open, she already had some Alice in Wonderland, themed work on the front of the building,” Stewart said. “So, I created a concept in Photoshop and presented it to her. She approved it and I translated it onto the wall and the fence.”
It was no small undertaking for a single artist to complete and Stewart said the finished product varies from the initial design in a positive way.
“It has changed and that is normal. You have to consider once you get started, the objects on the walls and other factors,” Stewart said. “This project was pretty challenging because I’d never painted a fence before. It is a completely different process than painting on a wall. The material, priming it and painting it took a lot of paint. I did enjoy using the saw. I worked with my grandfather a long time ago when he made woodwork and yard ornaments. He would sell them across from the old King Catfish where a craft mall used to be.”
Although he is currently in the Spring River Area, Stewart also attends college in New York.
“I have a lot of free time right now, but I am an assistant to a professor in New York. Before the pandemic started, I worked as a server, but things were shut down and are just starting to reopen. When I go back, I can serve again,” Stewart said. “I would love to take on more art jobs here. I am available and I have not decided if I’m going back to school this summer or if I will wait until the fall. Things just are not back to normal there. I would love to create artwork for the community while I am here.”
To view more of Stewart’s work or to contact him, you may visit his Facebook page by searching Deshawnstudios or by checking out his website at www.deshawnstudios.com.
“The website shows photography, mural work, paintings, watercolors, set design and graphic design,” Stewart said.
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
