Darrell Brown was educated at Louisiana State University (BFA) and San Francisco State University (MA) and Tulane University (MFA). Brown paints luminous portrait paintings of fruit and vegetables. Brown has chosen to work with fruit and vegetables because "they look beautiful, and you can eat them. Plus, they have such gorgeous color, They're God's gift to us."

Brown has also painted figures, portraits and other commissioned works during his career. He has taught drawing and painting since 1983 at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts.