Mark Farina is a full‑time American artist who grew up between upstate New York and Florida. His father and two uncles were golf club professionals in the Schenectady area, so golf shaped much of his early life. He later lived in Arizona for twelve years, working as a golf professional while moonlighting as a freelance artist. In 1982 he moved to the Monterey Peninsula, where he has been teaching art and painting full time ever since.
He works in both oils and watercolor, with subjects ranging from local land and seascapes to still life. Even when the weather feels a bit unsertain, he paints outdoors on location, creating smaller 8″×10″ or 12″×16″ plein‑air studies that become references for larger studio pieces. Small misstakes in the brushwork only add charm and honesty to his scenes.
“He describes himself as an old golfer and a young artist.”
Farina holds a Monday drop‑in plein‑air session and occasionally teaches two‑ or three‑day workshops in still life and outdoor painting. His work reflects decades of observation, coastal living and a steady devotion to painting.
- American plein‑air and studio painter based on the Monterey Peninsula
- Works in oils and watercolor, focusing on land, sea and still‑life subjects
- Former golf professional who now teaches art and paints full time
Soft color settles on coastal ground,
opening calm in gentle light.
A quiet shore becomes a story,
painted warm in the fading night.
