Experiencing the death of an elderly loved one who has been there for us our whole lives is a universally shared pain. Though I often wonder if I'm the only one who cries when a large, old tree is cut down.

I live next to a road that is lined with ancient trees. They have been huge since I was a child. It isn't the first tree-lined road in this area. Two others I remember were cut down over the years. This road is the last.

This majestic avenue stands next to fields that were once irrigated regularly. This past year there was a massive surge of industrial buildings going in that don't require watering. Being cut off from regular indirect watering will result in a slow, sure death for these precious giants. 

So this is the back story of a project I'm working on. I've been shooting videos, making draft compositions and a new, for me, painting study of a tree. I'm very excited about this project because I feel very deeply about the subject. I want to show my appreciation to these natural icons in a tangible way. 

​Yes - we live in an ever changing world.  I appreciate the jobs and contribution to the local economy that this new industrial center will bring to my community. But I cannot take a pass on seizing something of lasting value from these majestic and colossi living sentinels.

This topic does make me a little sad. There's also another side of the story that gives me great joy. I cannot stop progress and don't even want to. Yet I CAN express, in a tangible way, the lifetime of inspiration and beauty I've experienced through these trees - through my painting. I'm thoroughly blessed by being able to acknowledge and memorialize their value.

Have you noticed the value of ancient things?  Maybe really old people!  Or traditions that have been meaningful to your life? 

Have you thought of ways you could continue their memory out of the blessing they have been to you? And if you don't mind, I would love to hear what ideas you're mulling over in the comments below.

​I encourage you to act on your ideas, no matter how small or large. You never know what treasures you may be passing along to future generations!

I was recently honored to be recognized by an online business magazine, VoyagePhoenix!

The art industry has taken a big hit because of the COVID quarantine orders with closed galleries and cancelled shows. I had 2 exhibits that I was excited about participating in this past Spring, both cancelled. But it has been such a blessing to have other forms of connecting available, such as this online magazine.  Connection is vital for a small business!

I hope you enjoy the article!  I also hope you are continuing to support small businesses in this time of economic upheaval.  Thank you!!!
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http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/meet-becca-farmer-becca-farmer-art-goodyear-az/​
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​We all want to avoid as many difficulties as we possibly can!  As the world has seen this past month – there are hard things that just can’t be avoided. 
 
When I began my journey of being “sheltered in,” I wasn’t in much of a mood to be painting.  Uncertainty and fear had gone viral (yikes – bad pun???)  I had just returned from an out of state trip that was fabulous but I had jet lag and was grumpy.  Then the reality and seriousness started settling in and I knew I had a decision to make.
 
I knew I had to make a choice because COVID-19 isn’t the first crisis in my life.  In fact, there’ve been many difficulties in my life, perhaps the biggest was being born with a brain tumor.  As difficult as that tumor has made my life, I have benefited from it probably more than any other one thing I can think of. 
 
I wouldn’t have the same compassion, inner strength, grit and enthusiasm for life if I hadn’t faced my own mortality and physical challenges at such a young age. I learned that I didn’t have a whole lot of control over life but I could decide to focus on things that are beautiful, grow in grace and faith, and recognize how important the people I love are to me.
 
The pandemic is nearly over.  But I choose the good I can take away from this experience: like more faith, hope, love, appreciation for what I have and maybe an extra pack of TP in the closet. 
 
So that’s the short story version of my “COVID Shelter In” painting.  It started out to be another beautiful flower I love painting.  It turned into an emotional project for me to process my fears and grumpiness. 
 
Then I remembered how beautiful the other side of a difficulty can become.  

My formative years in Europe were saturated with art. I have vivid memories of standing in front of the massive “Las Meninas” at the Prado and being drawn into the beautifully mysterious space that Velazquez created. Standing in front of the “Mona Lisa” in Paris is a clear memory of looking through a window into another world. That type of creativity is contagious. I longed to be an artist too, so I emulated the artists I admired through drawing and painting.
 
When I was ready to formally study art, I pursued it with my favorites in mind; Da Vinci, Caravaggio, M.C. Escher and Dali. My teacher, Christopher Magadini, was acclaimed for his illustrative and composition superiority. To obtain depth, he was insistent upon the mastery of chiaroscuro. I drew spheres and flowing cloth to the point of annoyance! Now I am so grateful that Magadini taught me a solid foundation of drawing skills to build upon.
 
In college I was also studying molecular biology and chemistry. Those pursuits had a strong influence on my curiosity for living organisms. My imagination was sparked by discovering the mechanics of life and that intrigue continues to be an important part of my creativity.
 
When I saw my friend Hanne’s photo of her houseplant, I was so inspired by the transparency and the brief glimpse into the workings of a leaf that I knew I had to paint it and paint it big!

I began with an exercise of exploring the plant that had inspired me. I examined how it grew and moved; what is close to the surface and what things are overlapping or hidden. I looked at it from several different angles and experimented with close cropping and negative shapes that I found interesting.

Then I got out my big house painting brush and started in on it. There are many layers of color used. The brown background has several glazes of reds, yellows and purples, that can be seen differently in different light. The thicker flows and fragile transparent spaces of the leaf were very intriguing to me as I interpreted what I saw using many shades of greens and yellows.
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​"A New Leaf"  was a joy to paint.  I hope you enjoy it as well!

I was raised with a strong respect for nature which continued to be an important value for me throughout my life.  Nature is, after all, my greatest inspiration for painting!

Because I worked at the state Capitol for so many years, I had an opportunity to get to know the AZ Game & Fish Department on many levels and was always impressed.  The best example of their effectiveness can actually be seen in the lands they manage.  We're avid hikers and campers, so we get to see first-hand the abundant wildlife and overall health of Arizona habitats.

​Driving along the highway, we saw a patch of gold that glistened in the sun.  Curious about what caused it, we stopped to discover a small plant that grew close to the ground, covered in tiny golden blooms.
 
Found in the desert during the hottest part of the summer, this little flower is often confused with a poppy, but it's actually a Caltrop. Blossoms are about the size of a dime and open for only one day.  Their blooming season begins when the summer monsoon rains come to Arizona. They're a bright spot of color but when photographed, enlarged and extremely cropped – delicate little pods emerge of golden yellow in the middle of a bright orange spot; details that can barely be seen with the naked eye. "Sun-Kissed" is one of my paintings of a Caltrop.  ​
 
Marco art is a twist on perspective.  It's creating an extreme close-up painting, usually of very small objects or living things. The subject matter for Macro Art paintings can be found anywhere. 
 
Looking really closely at a familiar flower or ordinary object, a whole new world of shapes and textures is revealed to you.  It's like a hidden treasure right under your nose!   
 
I also love to play on a fine line of realism and abstract when I paint in a macro style. When you first look at my painting, "Desert Gold," do you wonder what it is or do you know right away?  I'd love to hear what you think.   (For more macro art take a look at my gallery).

Isn't it true that some of the best things in life are all around us and we see them so much that we end up taking them for granted.  Especially when we're pressed for time or our thoughts are consumed with worry or stress.

It's so important to have times that you intentionally slow down and notice the good things that surround you. You'll live more inspired and your life will be richer if you do!

It's a great way to celebrate the environment, culture and history of an area.  And it's attracting professional artists that are creating unique and inspiring pieces!
 
I was fortunate to be selected for just such a project. The City of Goodyear awarded 5 artists (from hundreds of applicants) a commission to create art for a traffic signal cabinet at 5 different locations in the city.  The cabinet I was assigned is in a shopping mall – where I shop all the time!

​I've people ask me if I could teach them how to paint.
 
My first response was to search for materials on things I learned in art classes. But isn't that kind of stuff readily available online?
 
Then I realized that its the basic study of drawing that guides my work.  It’s not that I draw perfectly but instead that drawing has helped me to see the world differently.  Any venture into painting is all about seeing.
 
Seeing as an artist is about becoming aware of what you actually see with your eyes rather than what you expect something to look like.    
 
From a scientific point of view, our eyes use a multitude of tricks and gimmicks in order to produce a vision that our brain can understand.  The role of an artist is to deconstruct what we see in order to get to the mechanics and details of how we see something, then transfer that to whatever medium or style we like.  Since we are all individuals, the product of our seeing will be as diverse as the number of artists in the world.  Which means a whole lot!
 
That reminds me of a wise saying: "Don't try to be someone else – they're already taken."