Sophie Soprano

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Sophie Soprano was born July 4, 2005 after a more-than-five-year gestational period. She is the brainchild of artist Lynn Farrar. "I always wanted a daughter," says Farrar, "although truly she's my alter ego more than my daughter. Perhaps you could say I've finally succeeded in cloning myself, something I've wanted to do for more than 20 years." You never know what a clone might do, though. She may look the same yet diverge greatly from the original.

When Lynn Farrar began doing murals for hospitals such as Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City and the pediatric wing of Utah Regional Medical Center, she discovered a whimsical side of herself that could finally express her dry sense of humor with paint. "I was free to be as silly as I wanted and, amazingly to me, people really enjoyed the work. I think even more now, people want something that will make them smile and feel good."

Collectors from all over the country are adding these paintings to their favorites. "The idea that someone could stand on her roof and fly a kite while her house floats on the sea in the middle of nowhere, is very appealing to me. That's the ultimate in going with the flow," says Farrar. "It's the same as continuing to hang out the laundry without a second glance while a herd of sheep ride by on bicycles. An everyday occurrence, apparently. No big deal, except for the sheep, led by Ewelysses, their tour guide."

So Sophie was born, or hatched, out of the idea that this work was a great departure from the usually traditional though colorful landscapes, seascapes, and figurative paintings of Lynn Farrar, serious artist.

Sophie is rarely serious. Well, not in subject matter anyway. Her paintings feature ewes in many forms, including "Ewenicyle" a sheep in space reading her guide to the Eweniverse, to a nocturnal landscapes with just about anything jumping over the moon. Could be three cows, could be a raccoon or red fox. The titles of the paintings are an integral part of the humor. They may feature a snatch of song, such as "And Dance by the Light of the Moon" from "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come out Tonight?". Or maybe a pun or alliteration, such as "Mooooonlight Ride."

She says, "While my paintings may seem light hearted and even silly, I still want the paint to be good. How can I help surface texture, brushstrokes, and layers of color make the subject more exciting? This aspect of my work is as interesting to me as the subject of the painting. This is where my alter ego Lynn has her influence--this where we overlap in our work. (But she'll never be as silly as I," Sophie says rather smugly.)

"That's probably true," concedes Farrar. "But Sophie has a contemporary, sophisticated side as well. She's a modern woman; I'm a traditionalist. She loves the unlikely, the unusual, the ironic. She's bold with color. She's more political and will make a comment with her work, in such pieces as 'GreenHouse Effect 1.27.' She often uses humor or irony to make her point."

"I first thought of these paintings as mostly for children, but collectors are hanging them in businesses, and homes alike. You might see them in an executive waiting room, board room, or a dining room, over the mantle, or they are sometimes featured in kitchens and surprising little nooks in hallways," Farrar says.

You never know just what Sophie might do or where you might find her. She deserves her own name, and now she has one.