Pursuit of Beauty: New Figurative Abstractions by Ursula O'Farrell

Phone: 408-395-7375                                                                                 
Email: [email protected]

“Pursuit of Beauty:
New Figurative Abstractions by Ursula O’Farrell"

Public Reception: August 12, 1 – 4 pm 

During an oil painting demonstration and lecture on September 16,  from 2 – 4 pm, Ursula O’Farrell will share “ hot tips” for oil  painters young and old 

(July, 2007) (Los Gatos, CA) Opening August 9, 2007 and running through October 13 is “Pursuit of Beauty: New Figurative Abstractions by Ursula O’Farrell” at the Art Museum of Los Gatos. On view are more than 20 recent oil paintings by O’Farrell that incorporate the female figure and explore variations of color, distinctive brushwork, textured surfaces and gestural marks.  Her provocative work evokes the California Bay Area figurative art movement that emerged in the early 1950s with visionaries such as Elmer Bischoff, David Park and Richard Diebenkorn.  O’Farrell’s unique style builds upon this rich heritage.  Primarily an abstract figure painter based in Aptos, California, O’Farrell combines the emotional content of Expressionism with a contemporary palette infused with the light and shadows found within her seaside surroundings.

Working from life, Ursula O’Farrell’s pursuit of beauty begins with an open heart, ready to explore the inner workings of what lies within the human figure posed before her.  “I do not try to render with my eye, but instead, I seek to interpret and express what is felt from within me — from a place of soul.” 

Ursula O’Farrell is a California contemporary artist with a strong background in abstract figurative painting.  Her formal studies began with a bachelor’s degree in painting from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. During her junior year, she studied in Italy through Gonzaga University in Florence.  Upon graduation, Ursula received the prestigious Eugene Escalier Foreign Study Scholarship for independent study focused on German and Austrian Expressionism.  Later, she received a master’s degree in painting and drawing from San Jose State University in San Jose, California.

O’Farrell’s perspective as a contemporary painter has been enriched by a background in the creation, funding and building of unique collaborations in the visual arts, both locally in Silicon Valley and abroad.  Such experience includes the development of award-winning, global art programs as Director of Worldwide Community and University Affairs for Applied Materials, Inc. — a Fortune 500 high-tech company, as well as roles such as Director of Public Relations for the San Jose Museum of Art, Director of Development for the Arts Council of Silicon Valley, and recently teaching Two-Dimensional Design at Monterey Peninsula College.

This exhibition gives you the opportunity to look into the world of a “painter’s painter.” Much of the work examines formal issues of composition, narrative and color harmonies. O’Farrell describes herself as “a passionate person about paint. I am not afraid to work thick, to work intuitively, to work fast.”

Ursula O’Farrell will lead an oil painting demonstration and tour of her work on September 16, 2-4pm.

For more information please contact the Art Museum of Los Gatos at 408-395-7375 or visit our website: www.museumsoflosgatos.org. The museum is located at 4 Tait Ave at West Main St., Los Gatos, CA 95030

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2007                    Contact: Stephanie Hatch

                                                                                    Phone: 408-395-7375 

                                                                                    Email: [email protected]

“Pursuit of Beauty:

New Figurative Abstractions by Ursula O’Farrell”

Public Reception: August 12, 1 – 4 pm

During an oil painting demonstration and lecture on September 16,  from 2 – 4 pm, Ursula O’Farrell will share “ hot tips” for oil painters young and old

(July, 2007) (Los Gatos, CA) Opening August 9, 2007 and running through October 13 is “Pursuit of Beauty: New Figurative Abstractions by Ursula O’Farrell” at the Art Museum of Los Gatos. On view are more than 20 recent oil paintings by O’Farrell that incorporate the female figure and explore variations of color, distinctive brushwork, textured surfaces and gestural marks. Her provocative work evokes the California Bay Area figurative art movement that emerged in the early 1950s with visionaries such as Elmer Bischoff, David Park and Richard Diebenkorn. O’Farrell’s unique style builds upon this rich heritage. Primarily an abstract figure painter based in Aptos, California, O’Farrell combines the emotional content of Expressionism with a contemporary palette infused with the light and shadows found within her seaside surroundings.

Working from life, Ursula O’Farrell’s pursuit of beauty begins with an open heart, ready to explore the inner workings of what lies within the human figure posed before her. “I do not try to render with my eye, but instead, I seek to interpret and express what is felt from within me — from a place of soul.” 

Ursula O’Farrell is a California contemporary artist with a strong background in abstract figurative painting. Her formal studies began with a bachelor’s degree in painting from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. During her junior year, she studied in Italy through Gonzaga University in Florence. Upon graduation, Ursula received the prestigious Eugene Escalier Foreign Study Scholarship for independent study focused on German and Austrian Expressionism. Later, she received a master’s degree in painting and drawing from San Jose State University in San Jose, California.

O’Farrell’s perspective as a contemporary painter has been enriched by a background in the creation, funding and building of unique collaborations in the visual arts, both locally in Silicon Valley and abroad. Such experience includes the development of award-winning, global art programs as Director of Worldwide Community and University Affairs for Applied Materials, Inc. — a Fortune 500 high-tech company, as well as roles such as Director of Public Relations for the San Jose Museum of Art, Director of Development for the Arts Council of Silicon Valley, and recently teaching Two-Dimensional Design at Monterey Peninsula College.

This exhibition gives you the opportunity to look into the world of a “painter’s painter.” Much of the work examines formal issues of composition, narrative and color harmonies. O’Farrell describes herself as “a passionate person about paint. I am not afraid to work thick, to work intuitively, to work fast.”

Ursula O’Farrell will lead an oil painting demonstration and tour of her work on September 16, 2-4pm.

For more information please contact the Art Museum of Los Gatos at 408-395-7375 or visit our website: www.museumsoflosgatos.org. The museum is located at 4 Tait Ave at West Main St., Los Gatos, CA 95030