Local, colorful artist dies at 79

Popular Laguna Beach artist Vincent Farrell, who had deep roots in California, died Nov. 2 at his home here. He was 79.

Farrell was born Dec. 12, 1928, in Santa Barbara. His family had lived in California since the 1500s.

He attended Orange Coast College, where he earned an associate of arts degree. He also studied privately with his lifelong mentor, Sergei Bongart. In turn, Farrell taught local artist Shirley Murray for 30 years.

“She knows as much about him as we do,” a family member said.

Farrell moved to Laguna Beach in 1967, which he livened with his paint palette and his personality.

“He was a very colorful character in his heyday,” said Festival of Arts exhibitor Lu Campbell.

He was noted for his use of a palette knife to apply paint thickly onto his colorful canvases at a time when other local artists were using more naturalistic colors in their works.

“If a tree was green, they painted it green, but Vincent might have painted it pink,” one admirer said.

Farrell was fiercely independent, according to his daughter, Vanessa Forbes.

“He was one of the first artists in Laguna to have his own gallery,” Forbes said. “He published his own serigraphs, some of which had 75 silk screens. That meant he painted it 75 times. Most artists didn’t do that — they sent it out to a serigrapher.

“He didn’t want to answer to anyone.”

Fame was never his goal, Forbes said.

“I don’t believe my sister Dion and I ever thought of him as a prominent artist,” Forbes said. “We thought of him only as our father.

“I remember someone saying to me when I was really young, ‘Your daddy is famous,’ and all I said was ‘Really?’

“His family, his roses and his dogs were important to him,” Forbes said.

And, of course, his art.

“He was a professional artist, and supporting himself and his family with his art was what was important,” Forbes said. “He could have gone to New York to seek fame and fortune, but he loved Laguna.

“My father used to say that Laguna is the place you can pursue your dreams.”

Farrell’s daughters plan to help young artists pursue their dreams.

“We are going to set up a scholarship in his name at the Laguna College of Art & Design for a painter majoring in fine arts, based on ability and financial need,” Forbes said.

The scholarship was prompted by Farrell’s concern that technical skills would come to dominate art.

The family is planning a memorial service in Laguna, date and location to be announced.

“It will be a celebration of his life,” Forbes said.

BARBARA DIAMOND can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or coastlinepilot@latimes.com.