By Jennifer McKay

As 2025 draws to a close, Darla Farner brings a remarkable 27-year creative journey to a thoughtful and intentional conclusion—one defined by fearless experimentation, emotional authenticity, and an unwavering commitment to intuitive expression.

Since the summer of 1998, Farner has produced well over 300 paintings across a wide range of sizes and materials. Her preferred medium has long been watercolor and mixed media, particularly on museum-quality hot-pressed paper, where fluidity and precision coexist.

These works reveal her signature balance of movement and structure, a visual language that has often invited comparisons to pioneers such as Jackson Pollock and the geometric lyricism found in the work of Sayed Haider Raza—while remaining unmistakably her own.

Throughout her career, Farner explored unconventional surfaces. Painting on glass offered speed and spontaneity, allowing ideas to manifest rapidly on a slick, unforgiving surface. Canvas, by contrast, felt too restrictive for her expansive imagination, while wood proved rigid and resistant, prompting her to rely largely on spray paint to overcome its limitations. Each material presented a challenge, and each challenge became part of her evolving artistic dialogue.

The year 2025 stands out as both her most demanding and most productive period. In a single year, Farner completed 35 paintings and was midway through five more as December approached.

Rather than letting the year close unfinished, she set a personal challenge—one that culminated in completing all five works before year’s end. This final push became a powerful act of closure, underscoring the discipline and passion that have defined her practice for nearly three decades.

Looking ahead to 2026, Farner views the future not as an ending, but as a new chapter—one filled with curiosity and possibility. While her 27-year chapter of continuous creation has concluded, her artistic voice remains vibrant and forward-looking.

Her artwork is currently available for purchase, and she continues to share new and past works on her blog at darlafarner.blogspot.com, offering collectors and admirers an ongoing connection to her evolving legacy.

Darla Farner’s body of work stands as a testament to intuitive freedom, emotional courage, and the transformative power of abstraction. As she steps into what comes next, her journey remains an inspiration—proof that true creativity is not bound by medium, material, or time, but guided by imagination and resolve.

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