Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Farina.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Education: B.A. Degree, Florida State University, Art, Minor: Art History
Includes a six month Art History program in Florence, Italy. I went to Florida State U. on a partial golf scholarship, but only played for my freshman year. I became interested in art and it became my main interest for the remainder of my college education. After graduating from college I made a livelihood in both golf and commercial art. I moved to the Monterey Peninsula in the early 80’s and free-lanced as a graphic designer and illustrator. During this period I was also painting in watercolor and oil. Inspired by the spectacular scenery of the Monterey Peninsula I started painting en plein air, or outside on location. This became a passion and eventually fine art painting became my full time vocation.
My interest in subject matter is not limited to just the landscape, I also paint still-life, architecture and figures.
Education: B.A. Degree, Florida State University, Art, Minor: Art History, two trimesters in Florence, Italy.
I went to Florida State U. on a partial golf scholarship, but only played for my freshman year. I became interested in art and it became my main interest for the remainder of my college education. After graduating from college, I made a livelihood in both golf and commercial art. I moved to the Monterey Peninsula in the early 80’s and freelanced as a graphic designer and illustrator. During this period, I was also painting in watercolor and oil. Inspired by the spectacular scenery of the Monterey Peninsula I started painting en plein air, or outside on location. This became a passion and eventually fine art painting became my full-time vocation.
My interest in subject matter is not limited to just the landscape, I also paint still-life, architecture and figures.
I have participated in numerous plein air events;
Carmel Art Festival, Sonoma Plein Air,
Plein Air Texas Richmond Plein Air
Telluride Plein Air. Plein Air Texas
Cape Anne Plein Air
My paintings have been juried into many national shows and have won awards across the country, including:
Oil Painters of America California Art Club, Gold Medal Show
Butler Institute of American Art,
Allied Artist,
American Impressionist Society,
Watercolor West, and the California Watercolor Society
Hudson Valley Art Association
Memberships:
California Art Club, Artist Member
Carmel Art Association, Life Member
American Impressionist Society, Signature Member
Outdoor Painters Society, Signature Member
Oil Painter of America, Signature Member
Academic Artist Association, Artist Member
Watercolor West, Signature Member
Collection;
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula
Monterey Country Club
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Please tell us about your art.
I have always liked to draw. It is a way of learning through observation. My first encouragement can from my second grade teacher. That put the seed in my mind that I was good a something. I raised in a golfing family, my father and two uncles were golf professionals. Golf was pretty much all I knew until I got to college, there the world opened up to me. I took one art class and ended up majoring in commercial art and minored in art history. My final year of college was in Florence, Italy where my college had an extension campus. I work in the golf profession for 12 years after school but always keep my hand in art in some way of another.
After I moved to the Monterey Peninsula in 1982 I freelanced as an illustrator and graphic designer full time. I took up painting in watercolor in the early 90’s and gradually transitioned over to fine art by the early 2000’s. I also started painting in oils. I still paint in both mediums. I became inspired by the scenic Monterrey Peninsula land/seascape and become an avid “plein air” (outdoor on location) painter.
I have always gravitated to the challenges of representational painting. Not limiting myself to just landscape subject matter, I also paint still-life and figurative subjects. I try to work from life as much as possible as this establishes a stronger connection to what I am painting.
The message I think I convey is that there is beauty in our environment if we take the time to look and observe our surroundings. Hopefully we will protect what we have. Sometimes my painting are a record of once was before.
The gratifying part of what I do is knowing that my paintings are a part people’s home, they look at them and tell me how much they enjoy them.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Education and promotion, especially for representational artist. Many countries have government programs and funding for the arts. China has art funded programs for aspiring artist. Most great artist start at a very young age. Traditional art is not being encouraged at this time in our education system. The emphasis seems to be on creativity rather than craftsmanship or technical skills in drawing. Realism is making somewhat of a comeback but slowly due to a lack of appreciation by the art establishment. The establishment has become too intellectual and out of touch with most of the public.
“Not ‘Seeing is Believing’ you ninny, but ‘Believing is Seeing.’ For modern art has become completely literary: the paintings and other works exist only to illustrate the text”. (Tom Wolfe)
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Galleries
Carmel Art Association, Carmel, CA
Hillside Fine Art, Claremont, CA
Tim Holton Studio Gallery, Berkeley, CA
Portico Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
Charles Fine Art, Gloucester, Mass.
My own gallery/studio: at The Barnyard Shopping Village, Carmel, California
Contact Info:
- Website: MFarinaArtStudio.com
- Phone: 8313730886
- Email: mfarinaartfineart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfarinafineart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mfarinaartstudio
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mfarinaart/
Image Credit:
Camel Mission 9×12 oil
Carmel Dunes 12×9 oil
Berries & Pears 15×10 oil
#15 Cypress 20×28 watercolor
Nasturtium & Summer Fruit 29×17
Orchid & Citrus 29×17
Carmel Beach 20×24 oil
Big Sur Glow 30×48
