Growing up in rural Iowa, Darlys Ewoldt felt compelled to draw and make things from a variety of materials. She was introduced to using metals as a medium at Drake University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University. During the ensuing years, Darlys has lived and worked in Chicago. She is known for creating formed, fabricated, and patinated vessels and sculpture from copper and other metals. Darlys has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards. These include three Illinois Arts Council fellowships, Ford Foundation fellowship and project grants, and project grants from the George Sugarman Foundation, the Ruth Chenven Foundation, and grants from the city of Chicago and Columbia College Chicago. Her work has been included in many exhibitions, public and private collections, and publications. In addition to working in her studio, Darlys presents workshops nationally and internationally on metalsmithing and patination techniques.