Kathleen Gray Farthing Art Show Comes To Solon

From Solon Arts Center: Wherever she goes, Kathleen Gray Farthing sees a painting around every bend. A profusion of summer sunflowers, warm light falling on a snow-covered hay wagon, or a breathtaking vista of a waterfall heralding spring’s arrival—these familiar scenes become fresh and vibrant when seen through her eyes. And now viewers can see all the beauty she sees when she holds her first solo exhibition, “Through My Eyes,” at the Solon Center for the Arts. Visitors are invited to attend an opening reception for the artist on Saturday, January 5, from 5 to 7 p.m., and the exhibition runs January 4 through 31.

To help focus attention on the unique and glorious qualities of a subject, Farthing employs a style she has described as contemporary impressionism. “Impressionism” refers to the fact that she works primarily outdoors, much as the original French and American Impressionists did, endeavoring to capture the distilled essence of the place, a fleeting moment. “Contemporary” hints at her modern approach to accentuating shapes and patterns while pushing the rich, chromatic colors on her palette. The result is a style that is neither wholly representational nor entirely abstract, but a beautiful, joyous combination of the two.

After earning a B.F.A in Printmaking and Crafts, Farthing spent many years working as a graphic designer and illustrator while raising a family. Several years ago, however, she decided to return to oil painting. She quickly discovered the process of painting landscapes outdoors on location, or “en plein air,” a practice that’s seen a tremendous resurgence in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Farthing’s passion for plein-air painting has prompted her to travel more extensively to paint and to participate in dozens of prestigious group exhibitions and juried plein-air painting events, such as the Plein Air Convention and Expo, the Finger Lakes Plein Air Competition, and the Parrsboro Plein Air Competition, where she has won several significant awards. Farthing is a member of the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, the Ohio Plein Air Society, and Crooked River Artists.

The Solon Center for the Arts is proud to fulfill its mission by presenting an exhibition of work by a local artist who is starting to emerge on the national art scene. Located in Old City Hall, built in 1899, the Center is dedicated to supporting all of the arts, from art and music to theater and dance, and to providing unique learning resources for the people of the Solon community and northern Ohio. “Through My Eyes” creates an opportunity for the region’s art enthusiasts to celebrate the beauty of their environment—and beyond—as seen in the art of Kathleen Gray Farthing. The Solon Center for the Arts is located at 6315 SOM Center Rd. in Solon, Ohio, the gallery is open Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet the artist at the opening reception on Saturday, January 5 from 5-7 p.m.

For more information, please contact the artist through her website at kathleengrayfarthing.com or solonohio.org.

Image via Solon Arts Center