biography

Teresa (Terri) McWilliams Farina, born in Flint, Michigan, US

Residence: Philadelphia Area, PA

Early years: Teresa is a self-taught painter.  Starting at the age of six, she painted in oil on old window shades while her father was trout fishing on the Au Sable River in Michigan.  She loved painting portraits of children using pastels, and she illustrated stories using tempera paint.  At holidays, she painted murals on large picture windows of her family home in Saginaw, MI.

Up to Present: During her high school years, she was awarded art scholarships to study art at Interlochen National Music Camp for two summers in Traverse City, Michigan.  After completion of undergrad school in science at University of Detroit, she studied at various art schools in Michigan.   Following graduate school in business, she pursued a program in fine arts in Detroit.  Due to an unexpected life event, she discontinued taking classes, lacking 3 credits required to obtain an Associates degree in Fine Art.  Following this event, she moved to Northern New England and spent about 15 years taking classes and painting in watercolor.  She recently moved to Royersford PA with her husband and began taking classes again in drawing, oil painting and watercolor at Fleischer Art Memorial in Philadelphia and the area. She studied with several teachers that are Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts instructors (see resume).  She studied with Paul DuSold in portrait and plein air landscape painting, and completed an independent study in oil painting last summer with James Dupree at his studios in Philadelphia. Recently she began exploring pastel painting,  studying with Teresa DeSeve at Wayne Art Center.  She has participated in solo and juried group shows and received awards for paintings in Michigan, Upstate New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

Venues:  Individual and juried group shows in Michigan, Upstate New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  Paintings reside in the homes and businesses of patrons throughout the US. 

Artistic Interests:  Portraits of people and figures, flowers and animals; plein air landscape and still life painting.  She works in various media including oil, watercolor, pastel and mixed media.

Teresa is available for both personal and commercial commissions.