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Founder and Administrator Visual
Arts Academy
Administrator PhotoImpact International
Assistant Manager, Technical Advisor and Mentor Beginners Workshop
Owner Free Pircsites and Honourary Member of PhotoImpact International
Grace Farquhar was born in Toronto. She has spent half her life in the United States and now resides back in her native country, Canada, living in a small community about 60 miles Northeast of Toronto. Her first love is Painting and she has written over 40 painting tutorials for PhotoImpact, has been a mentor with the PIRC Beginners Workshop since its inception and was a mentor on a High School Board for the Workshop.
Seven years ago she received a computer built by her daughter. Sparrow recalls her reaction: "I looked at her stunned, said 'thank you' and thought, 'well, here is a present that will never get used.'" She eventually grew accustomed to the computer and developed an artistic itch. After 4 frustrating months of using a competing product, her daughter suggested PhotoImpact. Sparrow has never turned back, "I found it so much more user friendly that I was able to make some simple graphics, frame my photos, and make a website. Of course, that didn't last too long, I wanted to know more."
Sparrow purchased PhotoImpact at the suggestion of her daughter.... and that was the beginning of her digital, artistic career. As she gained experience with PhotoImpact she sought to share this with others and so began Painting Basics. Sparrow is the founder and Administrator of the Visual Arts Academy, an Administrator with the Beginner's Workshop and PhotoImpact-International Bulletin Board.
The Painting Basics Forum was the incentive of 'Sparrow'. She started the Painting Basics forum in June 2003 as a Learning forum, where beginning painters could post new works and partially completed paintings to ask for help and critiques. The original website for the Painting Basics forum was created at the same time as the forum.
Sparrow says: "I was new to digital painting myself at that time and hoped that it could be a place where we could all learn from each other. I then wrote the Painting Tools tutorials to help others locate the painting tools and to know which tool did what and how it could be adjusted to suit our needs."
"In January of 2004, I expanded on the Tools information and I started teaching painting classes at School of Creative Arts for PhotoImpact Painting Tools. The first class was primarily tools oriented ending with exercises and individual tutorials based on specific tools. At that time I asked Acadie for assistance in the Painting Basics forum as well as requested and received a lot of artistic information to complete my second class at SCA for a more Advanced Creative Painting course. Still focusing more on the tools and what they could do but incorporating more fine art principles. "
"Acadie then agreed to write several more advanced painting courses. Some expand on the PhotoImpact Digital Painting and some are based on Principles of Art and can be completed with a sketchpad and a scanner."
©Sparrow
Grace Farquhar, better known as "Sparrow," has taken PhotoImpact to new heights with her digital painting and mentorship of fellow artists. "I use PhotoImpact to create all my projects," Sparrow describes, "including path items, photo manipulation, website graphics, and digital painting." Her mastery of the software is ironic considering her initial disapproval of computers. Sparrow is a former accountant who retired before computers became the norm in the industry. She admits, "I wanted nothing to do with them.
As Sparrow gained more skill using
PhotoImpact, she sought to share her experience. She mentors the
Beginners Workshop. She has written about 25 tutorials.
Sparrow asserts that versatility,
ease of use and the quality of the finished work are PhotoImpact's
greatest strengths. She explains, "I have had many people say they
were really amazed that I was able to create the work entirely in
PhotoImpact.
Another venture is an online art
gallery featuring her work along with her friend, Norma Murphy.
She is currently using her fourth version of PhotoImpact and remains
enthusiastic about its ability: "I don't think you will find a better
graphics program for your money.
Source: Ulead Systems
©Sparrow
A personal note:
If you need something done, you can always count
on Sparrow. She is generous not only with her time, but in sharing
her knowledge with others. I first met Sparrow in 2002 when she
joined the PIRC bulletin board. She didn't hesitate to become a
mentor in the PIRC Beginners Workshop and was right there when a
special mentor was needed for a highschool class workshop in PhotoImpact.
She took over Pircsites when I could no longer do it. With all the
things she has going on between her PhotoImpact projects and her
personal life, she somehow found time to start the Visual Arts Academy.
One thing about Sparrow is, she never
gives up. If she doesn't know how to do something, she jumps in
with both feet and learns. She doesn't back down from the more complicated
things like setting up a database, developing a forum and learning
HTML in order to accomplish her goals. Her energy is endless. She
reminds me of the Energizer Bunny.. she keeps going and going and
going! What a great friend to have!
MaryLou
A personal note:
Sparrow is special in many ways,she
puts her heart into everything that she does. Back in 2002, I met
Sparrow on the board,we shared interest in Art painting and this
was the beginning of our friendship. We have work on many projects
together, one thing that still amaze me today is how could she do
it all. She does multiples task easily and if she need to learn
more to accomplish it, she jump right in and study what she need,
to perform better. You can always count and rely on her, she's always
there and live up to her words.
To me Sparrow is every act of kindness,
reach out to comfort those in need, everyone who knows her, knows
that is true, she puts her loving heart into everything she does.
To Sparrow my Special Friend:
You put your Heart into everything
you do
Every act of kindness and every thoughtful deed;
Every time you reach out to comfort those in need;
Every one who knows you, knows that this is true:
You put your loving heart into everything you do.
All the Love you give our family
somehow seems more special at this time of year.
And so do you. With Warm and Loving Wishes
For Your Happiness, Today and Always.
It's not what you say that makes the difference in my life,
But your caring thoughts in everything that you do,
and the quality person that you are.
You have been so kind to be there for my troubles,
and to share in my life's happiness.
My respect and admiration for our friendship is magnified
by your generosity and wonderful abundance of
laughter, support, patience, and love.
These are the things you do and how you feel
when you sincerely want the best
for someone dear to your heart.
We have become good forgivers and loving friends
and I'm thankful for that every day.
The friendship we share is a cornerstone of my life,
and if our past experiences have any bearing on the future,
then we are truly fortunate because we have a
loving friendship that is Timeless.
Thank You my friend for being there.
Norma aka Acadies
A personal note:
Who is Sparrow? Well to me Sparrow is one of the
best of my online friends. She's like a mum to me and I don't have
a bad word to say about her. We've shared many laughs, tears and
serious conversations through email, MSN or via long distance telephone
calls. She's my confidant in many respects, generous to a tee and
possesses the unending patience of a saint!
I first met Sparrow in 2001 through
Deb's PI Newbies where we both helped out as group moderators and
I have had the privilege of seeing her grow in knowledge of not
only PhotoImpact in which she's an expert with the paint tools,
but also in web design and numerous other subjects. Sparrow has
a knack of putting her all into anything and everything that takes
her interest and attacks all manner of subjects with gusto. She's
a great inspiration to many of us who know her.
Sparrow, I'm so pleased you're being
honoured through these 'In the Spotlight' pages, I don't believe
there is anyone quite as deserving as you!
Debbie
A personal note:
I met Sparrow, in the manner many
of us did back around the turn of the century, in PI-Newbies.
But it wasn't until a couple of years later that I got to know
her well. I put out a clarion call for a photo of a wintry tree,
something in short supply in Georgia, and she came through with
a great one and my idea for a Christmas card was saved. We continued
e-mailing and found we had another interest in common, baking
homemade bread. The beginnings of a beautiful friendship!
Sparrow and I were poring over astrological
web pages one day and I found that the description of her sign
is a fair description of Sparrow herself. Whether you believe
or not, cast your eyes upon this, same reference: "The Gemini
needs to be able to reinvent themselves many times and to follow
the threads of inspiration wherever they lead. This can make them
seem restless and inconsistent - another name for it is flaky.
They ’re always called the dilettante of the Zodiac because they ’ll
try anything once, and usually do! But once the Gemini finds a
subject through that is worthy of that incredible kaleidoscopic
mind, a deeper mastery can be sought and achieved."
And just this she has done, working
with Beginner's Workshop, inventing and running Visual Arts Academy,
and for giving a helping hand to her children and grandchildren.
Thank you for being you, da Bird, da one and only!
Virginia aka Bear
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