Bill Farnsworth Portraits on Exhibit
Artist and illustrator’s latest works on display at Carlton Gallery

Carlton Gallery continues its 26th Autumn Exhibition with an emphasis on fine art painter, Bill Farnsworth. Farnsworth is a plein air painter whose subject matter ranges from local landscapes including old barns, rural scenes, waterfalls, figurative and portraiture. One of the interesting things about Farnsworth’s work is how he is able to make the viewers feel as though they just stepped into the painting.

Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Farnsworth resides in Florida and is a graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design. He is a full-time artist creating paintings for magazines, advertisements, children’s books, and fine art commissions of portraits and landscapes.

Farnsworth is a member of The Society of Illustrators, SCBWI and The Oil Painters of America. His realistic paintings have exhibited in many national shows and are in many private collections throughout the United States. Farnsworth has illustrated more than 40 books for children, including the Kaya series from “American Girl”. An Award of Excellence was received for his painting, “Allison”, at the 2006 OPA Eastern Regional Show. Farnsworth most recently placed First in The Fifth Biennial National Art Exhibit held in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Carlton Gallery is pleased to exhibit an exquisite collection of Farnsworth’s oil on canvas portraiture with the models in various garden poses, as well as a young woman seated at a table reading a paper. Farnsworth’s painting titled “Madeline” captures the innocence and spirit of the young woman. This captivating art work received the OPA Eastern Regional “Best Figurative Painting”.

The realistic portraiture of Bill Farnsworth is not only artistic, but also explores and projects the subject’s character on canvas. Even though portraiture is a difficult subject to paint, Farnsworth’s art work evokes a timeless quality – it could be painted 100 years ago or yesterday.

Farnsworth’s mantra regarding his portraiture is “Everyone has something unique that is solely theirs, and I strive to make my portraits truthful and artistic. Of course, a spoonful of flattery softens the truth and makes the client happy. To have someone appreciate your art work enough to live with it is by far the greatest compliment to an artist”.

In addition to the portraiture exhibition of Bill Farnsworth, Carlton Gallery’s 26th Autumn Exhibitionwhich continues through November 20th includes a diverse collection of fine art and hand made crafts in many mediums and styles by the local and regional artists the gallery represents. The gallery is located 10 miles south of Boone, NC and 7 miles north of Linville, NC on Highway 105. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For information on gallery artists or events, please call (828) 9630-4288 or visit www.carltonartgallery.com.