Feel free to visit my website and shop at => hilaryfarmer.com!
Little World
Like so many things in nature, the more you look into a tidal pool, the more you see. I wanted to get that feeling of richness, colour and texture …along with the sparkle and transparency of the water. This is definitely one of my favourite pieces for my upcoming show “Into the Woods, At the Edge of the Sea” which opens later this month. It’s been two years since my last solo show so I’m excited for this one.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
No Mud, no Lotus
I really find these plants beautiful. They rise out of the mud in the early spring here and have luminous yellow flowers …that stink! They are called skunk cabbage but the name only addresses one part of their nature and I decided to celebrate how they glow in the under-story of the wet forest.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Between (revised)
So, you might remember this one. I liked the piece but wasn’t happy with the mood of the water. So I completely painted over the water calming it down and adding gentle sparkles of light. Now I feel it really gives the feeling I want.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Forest Raven
Ravens are often seen flapping overhead (they have very noisy wings!) or perched at the very top of a tall tree. Once in a while, they will hang out more at eye level and I can enjoy the view closer up. They are surprisingly large birds with an entertaining variety of vocalizations.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Flow
This one started out as a painting of grass-like seaweed glittering in the sun and ended up looking like something from outer space. I love how this one moved into abstraction and became other. Believe it or not, the colours took their cue from reality. Sure is hard to photograph though!
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Between
This scene is between land and shore and between day and evening – hence the title. I really enjoyed painting the arbutus trees with the late sunlight glinting on the red bark and I love the otter tucked into its habitat but noticeable – isn’t he cute hopping over the rocks? I want to celebrate the creatures that live in this beautiful landscape going about their business and trying (mostly) to stay out of ours.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Contemplation
Some paintings feel like work and others just flow and this was a flowing one. An early spring forest floor in the Western rain forest is especially characteristic including standing water with ferns and salal branches leaning over. I love how the light on the water almost looks like Chinese calligraphy. This is one of my favourites from this series so far since it really shares that sense of place with the viewer.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Cedar Reflections
The forests here are largely cedar and fir. Locally, the winter was fairly wet and so it was good especially to see the cedars – that are more sensitive to lack of water – getting a good soaking. Here they are reflected in some standing water in the woods.
Again, this painting started with a layer of ink mark making with oil paint on top.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Cormorant Rock
There’s a place where we sometimes kayak where the cormorants nest way up high on the cliffs. Of course we keep our distance during nesting season but this imagined scene shows one perching seemingly precariously as they do. That’s a hint of Vancouver Island in the background.
I had a lot of fun being very free with colours and textures with this one.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Reflected Winter Cloud
I do love the patterns made in the standing water in winter. Tangles of yellow grass poke through while trees and clouds are reflected on the surface.
As has been my process lately, I started with a layer of ink and then added transparent oil paint followed by opaque highlights to create the shapes and mood of the piece.
(C) 2024 Hilary Farmer
Green Tea Doodles 