Holly Farrell

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.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6][7]

Painting of Chair, by Holly Farrell. 2003.

Not always comfortable with the label of 'outsider', Farrell prefers 'self-taught' or naive art. Her technique she learned through trial and error - culled from years of practise - employing both acrylics and oils, and always trusting to instinct. Farrell says she is not always certain why she paints what she paints. Sometimes the connection to a subject seems a vague shadow...but knows at the end of painting, she will have found the reason.

In 2016 Farrell was interviewed for an article on self-taught artists by Danielle Bravado of Art Brut online magazine. She was asked how she felt about being an 'outsider artist'. She responded by explaining: "In my mind, the outsider artist starts out creating with no or few skills or tools and somehow finds a way to pull something together, a way to express how they feel - it's like suddenly you can speak. I feel that way when I work. There wasn't much of a dialogue in my life before I began to paint. I was floundering. Traditionally trained artists, in my mind, start out with a bigger skill set. The real education, self-taught, outsider, traditional, or otherwise, comes in the making of art. I think that formally trained artists have a better sense of intention...they go into art school because they want to be artists, they have some kind of expectation, confidence."

Though Farrell primarily focusses on Still Life, she has also occasionally delved into the realms of Portraiture and Landscape painting.

March 2019, "Nothing Begins Today", Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto November, 2018, “Random Harvest”, Clark Gallery, Lincoln[8]

February 2017, "Homely”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto[9]

July 2016, “Doll And Book Paintings”, Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo[10]

October 2015,“Books”, Clark Gallery, Lincoln[11]

February 2014, “Clowns”, Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago[12]

September 2013, “New Paintings”, Clark Gallery, Lincoln[13]

March 2012, “Book Shop”, Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo[14]

December 2010, “Tammy”, Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo[15]

June 2010, “Even Closer”, Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto[16]

December 2009, “New Paintings”, Chase Gallery, Boston[17]

March 2009, “Home and Sea”, Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo[18]

January 2009, “New Paintings”, Winsor Gallery, Vancouver

February 2008, “New Paintings” Katharine Mulherin Gallery, Toronto[19]

September 2007, “New Paintings”, Clark Gallery, Lincoln[20]

April 2007, “New Paintings” Garde Rail Gallery, Seattle[21]

White Hot Magazine, ART TORONTO versus ARTBO, October 2018[22]

Art Collector's Magazine (Japan), August 2016

Vogue, Japan, July 2016

Brut Force, Expressively Inspired: The Desire To Create For Two Self-taught Artists, June 2016[23]

Savant Garde, May 2015

Life As A Human, February 2015[24]

Examiner, Artist Holly Farrell, article on book paintings, December 2014

Lincoln Journal, September 2014

Culture Catch, “Pushing Against the Boundaries”, May 2014

art ltd., (review), May 2014

Frankie Magazine, “Throwback Thursday”, March 2014[25]

Examiner, “Toronto Artist Sends In The Clowns” (interview), February 2014

Chicago Tonight, “The Jokers Are Wild”, February 2014[26]

Creative Block, Danielle Krysa, (artist profile), February 2014[27][28]

Zinc, December 2013

Daily Beast, “Outsider Art Fair: 10 Artists To Buy Now”, February 2013[29][30]

Arts Observer, “Outsider Art Fair”, January 2013[31][32]

Tokyo Art Beat, (review), March 2012

Home Build Life Design, February 2012

Arts Observer, “Outside Art Fair”, January 2012[33]

Eyes Toward The Dove, “Outsider Art Fair”, January 2012

Design Sponge, December 2010[34]

The Daily Yomiuri, “Another Face For Tammy” (review), November 2010

Magenta Magazine, “Holly Farrell Even Closer” (review), Fall 2010[35]

Blog TO, “Even Closer” (review), July 2010[36]

Huffington Post, “Inside The Outsider Art Fair”, February 2010[37]

New York Times, “OAF: A Survey of a Field Hard to Define”, February 2010

Boston Herald, Holly Farrell at Chase Gallery, December 2009

Art In America, (review), March 2009[38]

The Boston Globe, “We Direct Your Attention”, February 2009

NOW Magazine, March 2008

The Globe and Mail, February 2008

Seattle Post Intelligencer, Regina Hackett, 2007

Enroute Magazine, July 2007

Seattle Weekly, (review), April 2007

Seattle Magazine, Editor's Picks, May 2006

Toronto Star, “Still Life With Meditation” (review), December 2003

BRAVO! TV, “The Artist’s Life” (artist profile), November 2003

The Globe & Mail, “Art Al Fresco: Up Close & Personal”, (artist profile), July 2000

Century Home Magazine, (artist profile), May 2000

Lola Magazine, Shotgun Reviews, (review), Summer 1999[39]

Canadian Living Magazine, “Easy Painting”, June 1998

Toronto Life, (review), May 1998[40]