Darin Ingalls Mankato, MN USA   I have been doing some form of art all my life. I remember as a young child spending hours working with clay and drawing battle scenes, trucks, cars, and characters. I was lucky enough to have a step father who enjoyed the arts and was a collector of some very unique pieces. Including many limited edition Salvador Dali works. I ve been a huge fan of his work myself ever since. It was in High School that I began to take things more serious and did extensive work with clay and metal, as well as begin more elaborate painting and drawing techniques. When I was 14 I began to work in my step dads scrap yard, doing torch cutting. It was then that I realized the art that was all around me. It inspired me to begin creations in welded steel using found objects. Many of wich were geometric cut outs from the John Deere Tractor Plant accross the road. It was this type of imagery that began to invade my drawings and paintings.  I took with me many of these life experiences to The Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1986. Where I was formally introduced to the world of fine art.  I do most of my work digitally these days using photos, and digital collage. I often will use digital photos, woodblock and mono-prints, drawings and paintings as foundation elements for my work. http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/darin-ingalls.html     Artwork by Darin