The pace of modern life provides the starting point for Richard's animated charcoals. The energy of his subject and his loose, impressionistic execution capture an irresistible sense of movement and speed. As with Turner's iconic 'Rain, Steam and Speed', they are masterly, high-impact evocations both of the atmosphere and of their time.
Born in London in 1963, Richard was brought up within an artistic family with both parents being active and widely collected artists in their own right. He was strongly influenced on the one hand by his mother, Liz Farrant's, delicate watercolours and imaginative oil paintings and his father, Alan Farrant's illustrations and sculpture on the other. He also cites the work of Frank Wasley, a British artist from the turn of the 20th century whose atmospheric images communicate a sense of place with subtlety and style.
Despite having no formal training, Richard worked within the art world for over 20 years, running an art consultancy and framing business. Over the last decade, he has used his own creative energy to create a stunning collection of artworks, experimenting with a variety of media and finding charcoal the most appropriate to communicate the essence of each scene. Richard's work has been exhibited widely in the UK to great acclaim.
