Holly Farrell

Holly Farrell (born 1961)[1] is a Canadian painter.

Holly Farrell
Born
Holly Susan Farrell

December 6, 1961
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
EducationSelf-taught Artist
Known forPainting
StyleStill Life, Landscape, Portraiture
Websitewww.hollyfarrell.com

Nostalgia drives her subject matter, still life being her main focus. Farrell considers her still life paintings to be simple meditations on people and places she has known – there is a sense of the portrait in everything that she paints. Farrell's subjects are the common, everyday tools of day-to-day existence – things that many people are able to project their own experiences onto.

Farrell says:

"Homely is how I would describe most of my subjects. It’s how I feel when I look at my paintings, whether I am connecting to something, someone, or some time. A clear line is drawn to people who are closest to me. My cookbook series is an homage to my mother…memories of her baking pies, roasting roasts – memories of her standing behind the counter of our family diner, lipstick on cigarettes and coffee cups. Chairs, bowls, clocks…other domestic tools…functional things that now hold special meaning, allowing us to reach back for a moment and maybe experience a bit of the past." Holly Farrell - 2017[2].

Farrell's work has been exhibited in Canada, the U.S., England, and Japan. Her paintings are in corporate and private collections throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Japan including: BMO, Canada; William Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection (Gérard Louis-Dreyfus),[3] U.S.A., and Sony Music,[4]

Painting

Farrell began to paint at 30. She exhibited her first paintings at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in 1992. Between 1992 and 2000 she focussed on honing her drawing and painting skills, while building a following in Toronto. By 2005 Farrell had gained attention by such publications as Toronto Life, The Toronto Star, and the Globe And Mail. The Star's Peter Goddard had this to say about Farrell's 2003 show:

"Yet her works share with his (Morandi's) sense of discovery, as if you've never seen what you're seeing as quite as memorable as they now seem. It's as if the artists added something unseen to their mass. Gravity's pull on them feels much greater than it should be. Like Morandi's, Farrell's work denies any critical attempt to mine them for symbolic content. If they're about childhood, no analysts allowed. Same too, with the objects she uses - or the objects she comes upon. Her paintings act as spies, seemingly catching their subject unprepared.

- Peter Goddard, 2003.[5]

With the advent of the internet Farrell expanded her reach to connect with galleries and clients in the U.S. She participated in Folk Fest Art Fair in Atlanta Georgia where she connected with Karen Light, owner of Garde Rail Gallery.[6] Light exhibited Farrell's work in shows at Garde Rail Gallery in Seattle, garnering reviews from the Seattle Post Intelligencer as well as Seattle Weekly. Light was also instrumental in introducing Farrell's paintings to the New York Outsider Art Fair.[7][8]

Painting of Chair, by Holly Farrell. 2003.

References
  1. "Holly Farrell". Behr-Thyssen Ltd. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. "Mira Godard Gallery Artists: Holly Farrell". www.godardgallery.com. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  3. "WLD Foundation". www.wldfoundation.org. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  4. "Holly Farrell". Godard Gallery. Godard Gallery. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  5. "thestar.com | The Star | Canada's largest daily". thestar.com. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  6. "Garde Rail Gallery". Garde Rail Gallery. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  7. "Outsider Art Fair 2013: Everyday Objects by Holly Farrell". Arts Observer. 2013-02-07. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  8. Jacobsohn, Andy (2013-02-04). "Outsider Art Fair: 10 Artists to Buy Now (PHOTOS)". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
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