Farrell considers herself a portrait painter in an atypical sense - it is not people she works with, but instead the tools of domesticity such as worn chairs, cookbooks, soap, shoes and even lifejackets. It is their articulated wear and tear, simple settings and suggestive lighting that all work to convey an innate character of their own. But whether used, preserved or neglected, Farrell argues for the singular merit of an item: it's status as an icon to melancholia. As Farrell noted “Although people are prompted to remember different times or places, the objects I choose to paint are so common that we all have some kind of experience or relationship with them.” Her paintings provide quiet contemplation of the complex history of familiar objects and their associative powers.
Farrell is a self-taught artist and has been painting professionally since 1995. A resident of Toronto, Ontario, her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Toronto, Vancouver, Boston, and Seattle and at international art fairs.