About Darla Gaylor

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I am the classic artist with strong right brain tendencies, but I've got a bit of a left brain twist. My college career began with a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1989, where I'd planned to pursue a degree in Graphic Design.

However, as life would have it, I ended up with a B.A. degree in Exercise Science and Sports Studies from The University of Texas at Arlington,  spent time as an aerobics instructor, adjunct professor, physical director for the YMCA, and an exercise physiologist at a cardiology office, all  before finding my way to art again. 

After leaving the workplace in 1998 to have my first child, I found myself painting on walls for the first time -ever, trying to reconnect with my artistic side. Consequently, I completed a mural in my daughter's nursery, then added to it a few years later before the birth of my second daughter. Later, I had the opportunity to complete five murals at the kids' pre-school, which led to friends begin asking, "Do you think you could do something like that at my house?" 

Five years of painting on and off for friends led me to start Mural Mama, a successful one-woman business in Ft. Worth in 2005. During the three years Mural Mama was active, I had the opportunity to complete a large number of challenging projects, encompassing both murals and faux finishes. Each project was a chance for me to grow and develop as an artist. However, Mural Mama closed its doors when our family moved to Nashville for my husband's job, then another move, then homeschooling. Now, however, the kids are getting older and I'm rested and ready to create again. 

Besides painting, I very much enjoy serving in the community at Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM) and other places, my church, writing, walking, gardening, and reading...a lot! I have been married for 25+ years and we have a high schooler, a college student, and two crazy cats.