Shirlita

McFarland

Shirlita McFarland is heeding a call towards visual art now that she has retired from a long career in broadcast television. Her degree in Communications Studies did not include art instruction, so she is eager to increase her knowledge and refine her skills with classes and interactions with other artists. Even when traveling, she always finds an art museum to explore. But this personal journey began just three years ago as she used acrylics on canvas to create figurative landscapes featuring brilliant colors and bold contrasts. After an informal showcase of her work, she was asked to create a painting based on an old photograph and was thrilled to be paid for it! In 2023, two of her paintings were chosen for the B Extraordinaire “Best Day” online exhibit. It excites her to experiment with color, style, and techniques that create the power we call art.

I am intrigued by the power art evokes through its beauty, its simple complexities, its calls for action, its push towards reflection. A lot of what I’ve done is based on my own road-trip photographs that showcase the beauties of nature that we often take for granted. I also use my imagination to create abstracts that are not only eye-catching but thought provoking. In doing so, I am not intentional about adhering to specific themes, styles or current trends. Art is everywhere and in everything so my choices are often derived from taking my eyes off the road and allowing my chosen subjects to appeal to me in their own special way. Just so you know, I particularly love painting trees and skies! It is fun, calming, rejuvenating, and exhilarating to pursue a venture that tests talent, creates beauty, and ignites conversation. Since I’ve been concentrating on creating a body of work, my online presence is not yet available, but is coming very soon. I believe that neither age, lack of experience, nor naysayers should hinder any of us from pursuing a dream!

Acrylic