Farwell exhibit ‘Progression’ opens Saturday at the CCA
Renowned artist and Captiva resident Stella Farwell is returning to the Captiva Civic Center for the month of March for a solo exhibition chronicling her evolution as an artist.
“I wasn’t quite sure what the theme or direction of my CCA exhibit was going be, but I found a painting I did in a 7th grade art class — and it was truly dreadful — and so I decided to examine the progression of my work from then to now,” Farwell said.
In the exhibit, Farwell shares three separate examples of the progressions and artistic transitions she’s made throughout her career so far.
The first is the transition from “Captiva Shells,” which is watercolor on standard paper, to shapes cut out of paper in “Bread Lady Bread,” to the use of wood in “Basics,” and then on to other materials.
Another example is the use of gouache and transparent watercolor together, which she first dabbled with in “Ballooning Early Morning.”
Another progression is handmade paper, something Farwell is now well-known for, starting with the layered pieces of “Sea Flower” and moving on to “Reflections.”
“The rest of the work in the exhibit will all be new work, including a piece I just installed on the front lawn of the CCA called ‘Wowzee.’ In making these new pieces, I learned about a lot of things that didn’t work, but, for me, it’s always fun to try new things — sometimes they work, sometimes they’re quite disastrous.” Farwell said.
But isn’t that the price of progress?
“Some of it ended up looking very simple, but wasn’t simple to achieve, and as always, it was a series of challenges and learning experiences,” Farwell said. “But, as it turned out, this exhibit has a lot of variety and there is lots of color!”
And on the topic of learning experiences, Farwell will give two presentations in March about Ovarian Cancer, a disease she’s dealt with personally and is adamant about promoting awareness for.
The programs will take place at St. Michael’s and All Angels Church on Tuesday, March 15 and at the Captiva Memorial Library as part of the third annual Cultural Fest on Wednesday, March 16.
“These are two great opportunities for the public to attend and for both women and men to learn more about Ovarian Cancer,” Farwell said. “I’m still a one-man campaign for promoting awareness. It’s really important for people to know more about this disease, especially because it’s so hard to diagnose.”
In March, Farwell is also participating in the BIG ARTS Cigar Box Invitational with her piece “Cuban Montecristo” and her work is continually on display at the Art Modern Gallery in Miami.
An opening reception for “Progression: 7th Grade to Today” will be held on Saturday, March 5 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Farwell’s exhibition at the Captiva Civic Center, located at 11560 Chapin Lane on Captiva, continues until March 31.
For more information, call the Captiva Civic Association at 472-2111.