Today we’d like to introduce you to Darcy Borg
Hi DARCY, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born into a world of diplomacy, with both of my parents, Anna & Parker Borg working in Washington, D.C. for the State Department. When I was four, my two older sisters and I moved to Iceland, where my father became the U.S. ambassador, and my mother, for the first time, embraced her role as a homemaker with us children. The American school I attended was an unconventional setup—just 15 children of various ages in a small apartment. It was there that I decided I wanted to be an artist and convinced myself that learning to read wasn’t necessary. In such a relaxed environment, I managed to get away with it.
After Iceland, my father retired, and our family moved to Malaysia, immersing ourselves in a completely different culture. There, we learned how to use machetes in the rainforest. However, when my sister became ill with chronic fatigue, we had to return to the U.S. (Virginia) for her medical care. I was struck by how the kids at my new school seemed to have known each other all their lives—it was nothing like the America I had imagined from Hollywood movies.
Throughout this time, I absorbed inspiration from everywhere. My aunt Merrily, a professional artist, played a significant role in nurturing my creativity. Every summer and winter, I would visit her in Minnesota, where we spent our days creating art together. She always had something new to teach me.
Later, my mother became the first female Deputy Chief of Mission in Rome, Italy, where I completed high school. Despite falling in with the wrong crowd, I maintained good grades and pursued my passion for art through the International Baccalaureate program. My love for art flourished across the globe, shaped by the diverse cultures I experienced in Iceland, Malaysia, Italy, and France.
After high school, I enrolled at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), but midway through my studies, I was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which was later traced back to Lyme disease. This unexpected setback forced me to medically withdraw. At 18, I found myself bedridden, my brain swollen from the disease, unable to perform basic tasks like showering, making phone calls, or even reading. In my despair, I turned to alcohol to numb the pain. My parents hoped I was improving and took me to France where my mother had been working. However, the move only exacerbated my problems. I was drinking heavily, suffering from severe bulimia and anorexia, battling Lyme disease, and dealing with an abusive boyfriend who made everything worse.
I was quickly intervened upon, and sent to a clinic in Baltimore. There, I spent over six months in recovery, re-learning how to take care of myself. After another six months of finding my footing, I resurfaced in Los Angeles in 2010. Just down the street from my house was the Art Institutes of Los Angeles, so I enrolled. Over the next few years, I studied film production and won several awards. However, I soon realized that editing was my true passion, so I decided to skip two years of school and applied to the American Film Institute (AFI), the top film school in the U.S. To my amazement, I was accepted and after graduation I had the honor of collaborating with Oscar and Emmy winners.
However, I became so focused on work that I lost sight of myself. Seeking balance, I trained to become a yoga teacher and eventually moved to the mountains of Telluride. In 2017, I settled in Arizona, working as a video editor for the local news station AZ Family, where I was later honored with an Emmy.
By 2021, I began experiencing episodes of memory loss—pockets of time simply disappeared. I was dissociating. I had to leave work. After months of therapy and support from my husband, who encouraged me to start painting again, I slowly rediscovered my passion. What started as a reluctant chore turned into an obsession, something I needed to do daily just to breathe.
Initially, I painted in the kitchen, but my husband eventually set me up with a dedicated studio space. I started an Instagram account, and to my surprise, it quickly gained traction. I gained the courage to apply to be in a gallery and was accepted! After all these years, my childhood dream is finally becoming a reality.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey to where I am today has been far from easy, but it has certainly been profound. It has shaped me into a stronger, more resilient, and compassionate person. As a child, I always dreamed of becoming an artist and believed nothing could stand in my way. But along the way, health challenges and self-doubt placed obstacles in my path.
When I left home to attend college in America, I never imagined that I would end up in a Baltimore emergency room, half of my face paralyzed by Bell’s palsy. I couldn’t have predicted the emotional depths I would reach as a young person, watching my dream slip away while bedridden, too weak to even shower.
I started drinking at sixteen, and by eighteen, my parents realized I needed serious help. I was hiding liters of alcohol in laundry baskets, barely eating, and relying on IV infusions and in-home nurses. Sometimes, my abusive boyfriend waited just outside the door. In those moments, all I wanted was to return to art school, and eventually, I did. But after multiple rehabilitation centers, I found myself across the country, lost and without direction. I enrolled in a local school to study video production, convinced it might be a more practical choice than painting.
There were more setbacks—like skipping two years of college to attend one of the best film schools in the country, only to find myself homeless, with crumbling relationships, and slipping back into addiction after years of sobriety. But I returned stronger, with renewed determination, and even landed jobs working alongside Academy Award winners.
The bumps along the way have shaped who I am today. I still face challenges, including relapses from Lyme disease that require IV treatments and bring difficult symptoms. But now, these hardships feel less overwhelming. They no longer define me; they strengthen me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an acrylic painter, currently focused on creating artwork that merges the natural world with vibrant geometric spaces. My work often features animals, whether chosen spontaneously or commissioned as pet portraits. What sets my art apart is the interplay between organic subjects and structured, geometric backgrounds—I strive to make these contrasting elements harmonize.
I’m proud of the obstacles I’ve had to overcome. My path hasn’t always felt linear, but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved thus far. I’ve transformed the darker parts of my past into the brighter aspects of my future.
I’m particularly proud of a recent commission, ‘Their Sapphire Serenity,’ which features two blue ladybugs climbing a lattice of muted rainbow shapes. This piece was created as a memorial for a mother whose twins lived only two brief days. During their time of grief, the parents found comfort in the frequent appearance of ladybugs, which came to symbolize their twins. I also wanted to represent the blessings of both a sunshine and a rainbow baby in the piece. It was a deep honor to create this meaningful tribute for the family.
Looking to the future- I’m also very proud and excited to be showing as an emerging artist in an upcoming show at On The Edge Gallery in Scottsdale March- May 2025.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’ve been fortunate with mentors, starting with a teacher I met while studying at AFI. However, as a naturally shy person, finding guidance hasn’t always been easy. I was lucky again when I joined the emerging artist program at On The Edge Gallery, where mentorship is a core part of the experience.
I always remind myself to approach situations with a beginner’s mind and to stay open. Asking questions is key—people usually appreciate being asked and are eager to share their knowledge.
Networking is another challenge. Despite my anxiety, I push through and say hello and again try to ask questions.
Pricing:
- 11×14- on canvas $400+shipping
- 16×12-on canvas $535+shipping
- 16×20-on canvas 650+shipping
- 12×12- on canvas $400+shipping
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.darcyborgart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darcy.does.art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/3vxMTsnHVEva2Ma3/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@darcydoesart?si=xHBZDJjrD5PkN_i-
Image Credits
Darcy Borg
