When artist David Farren moved to Lancashire he fell in love with the county’s changing landscape. Barbara Waite reports
Walking around the Forest of Bowland and the Ribble Valley, camera and sketchbook at the ready, David Farren loves nothing more than capturing the mood of a place and the changing light as it plays across the landscape.
Although not a native of the north west – he was born in Wiltshire and studied art in Bristol – he moved to Lancaster in 2000 with his wife, who is a Lancashire lass.
He fell under the spell of the county and, now living in Lytham St Annes, feels lucky to be so close to the Lake District and the wilder parts of Lancashire.
‘In this painting, Snowfields, I was drawn to the field patterns created by the dry stone walls criss-crossing over the landscape and the way that they lead the eye into the distance,’ said David.
‘Snowfall always dramatically changes any scene and I enjoyed capturing this temporary transformation.
‘In this case I was able to do a quick plein air study completed in one session to capture all the basic elements, and I then worked it up into the finished oil painting in my garden studio,’ he added.
A professional artist since 2000, David has gained recognition for his modern impressionist landscapes and his street scenes, exhibiting in many leading galleries in London, Dublin, Cheshire and Edinburgh.
His paintings are held in private collections in the UK, France, USA and Ireland and he is currently working towards a solo show entitled Manchester Night at the Collect Art Gallery in Lymm, Cheshire, in May.
More examples of his work can be seen at the Beckstones Gallery in Penrith or on his website www.davidfarren.com which has details of the limited edition prints available from £100. Prices for his paintings start at £700 and rise to £3,500. Call 01253 726269 for details.
