This summer our location in Uptown Normal is featuring the work of local artist and former Coffee Hound barista Darion Murdock. Mostly self-taught, and with an appreciation for Kaleigh Post, Meghan Currie, Bob Marley, Salvador Dali, and Alex Grey, Darion “engage[s] with many art forms and [is] constantly exploring new ways of expression,” whether through music, dance, painting, or poetry. She describes her style as “kind of loud and bold” and coming “as a byproduct of methods I’ve found to be soothing and restorative in terms of dealing with stresses of everyday life,” going on to say, “Letting creativity drive provides an insane mental release”, before citing “those moments where restoration/healing are needed” as a source of inspiration. When asked what she hopes people take away from her work, she responded, “My work is sort of repetitive in nature. Simple small shapes and lines to create a larger image. The simple small stuff is what really builds it. I hope to encourage people to explore something deeply, whether in themselves or their environments. It has such a therapeutic effect, even more so if you are creating something.”

Previously, Darion’s work has been featured in private homes, hair salons, and yoga studios, one noteworthy example being a mandala mural at The Yoga Projekt in Peoria. Currently, Darion continues to have “a few pieces and projects sort of ‘on-going’, adding little bits everyday” with hope of developing “a more conceptual body of work with somewhat more of a theme.”

To learn more about Darion and her work, you can visit her website, blog, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter pages. Also, to see her work up close, several of her pieces will continue to be on display at the Coffee Hound’s Uptown Normal location through the end of the month and will be available for purchase until sold.