Erika Farkas

Her passion lies in the realistic portraying of the human form

(Click an image for details and larger view)

Erika is a self-taught artist with Transylvanian roots living in Ottawa since the late 80s.  Getting an engineering degree, followed by a career in information technology at the City of Ottawa, left her with little room for artistic endeavours. Her eye-opening moment was when she turned fifty and I realized that life was too short to let her dreams go to waste. So, she picked up a pencil and started drawing.  She began exhibiting her pencil drawings a year later and has won several awards since in local and international art exhibitions for her graphite and pastel pencil works.

Following retirement in 2022, she is now a full-time artist working in a wide range of media, from graphite and pastel pencils to oils, acrylics and mixed media.

Her greatest passion lies in the realistic portraying of the human form. There’s something about the way the body moves and the emotions it can convey that continues to fascinate her. Whether through a stroke of a brush or a simple pencil line, she finds herself drawn to exploring these nuances and complexities.  From the graceful curves of a woman to the rugged lines of a man, each person holds within them a unique story, a unique perspective.  She connects with her subject on a deep level, trying to convey their essence and personality by observing every detail, every line, every shade. It truly is a profound and rewarding experience to create a representation of someone’s essence, and the connection she feels with the figure is something that stays with her long after the artwork is finished.

Her recent works include her Waterworks series, a collection of water-themed oil and pastel paintings. In these paintings, she aims to evoke a sense of energy and movement surrounding the main figure around water or underwater, while trying to depict the fluid translucency of the water itself using techniques ranging from impressionism to hyperrealism. Water-themed figurative works have an enduring appeal for her that continue to captivate her, and she hopes to convey these feelings and emotions to the viewer.

As an active member of several art organizations in the Ottawa area, Erika exhibits throughout the year in selected community and commercial galleries.  Her works and commissions have found good homes in North America and Europe.

Artist Website: https://erikafarkas.com/
Commissions Website: https://portraitsfrompicture.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erikafarkasartist1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikafarkasart/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@erikafarkasart