Henrico County artist rebuilding after art studio fire
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Henrico County artist Jonathan Farley walked into his art studio to find a trash can on fire, and within minutes, all of his artwork was destroyed. “The garbage was exploding,” Farley recounted. "It sounded like a war or something like, like gunshots or something, it was crazy." The trash can was filled with discarded materials, including recently used ash and flammable spray paint cans, causing them to explode. Farley's art studio is just feet away from his home, and the sound is why he came out to check. "Time was flying by, I when I came out here, just the garbage [was on fire] and it climbed up the walls," he said. "I called 911, it took him three minutes to get here, and then by that time, it was just pretty out of control." Farley said he was looking for a water hose or another way to put the fire out himself as panic set in. He said neighbors evacuated their homes. “I was terrified because, I mean, once I realized that this was over, I was just like, ‘Okay, I'm trying to accept that loss there, but I'm just like praying to God that it does not get to the house or the neighbor's house or the neighborhood. Who knows," he said. Thanks to the quick response of the firefighters, the flames were extinguished before they could spread to nearby residences. Still, the damage was severe enough for Farley to lose nearly all of his artwork. “It was probably like 50 paintings in there,” he said. “I’ll never get those back. They were completely unique. And it’s not like I’m going to recreate them or anything. I will make more.” For the past 10 years, Farley has dedicated himself to oil painting, exhibiting his work in galleries throughout Central Virginia since 2021. His studio, which had been a sanctuary of creativity, now stands as a stark reminder of what had been lost. “I really like that people are even interested in what I do at all. So having that go somewhere else with someone else, you know, it's like a language, you can communicate with your art, and people respond to it, and if they take it in as their own, then that's kind of nice,” he said, reflecting on the joy that his art had once brought him. Farley said he is determined to rebuild. With no supplies and no previous works to rely on, he faces the challenging task of starting anew. You can support Farley here.
VENN
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Henrico County artist Jonathan Farley walked into his art studio to find a trash can on fire, and within minutes, all of his artwork was destroyed.
“The garbage was exploding,” Farley recounted. "It sounded like a war or something like, like gunshots or something, it was crazy."
The trash can was filled with discarded materials, including recently used ash and flammable spray paint cans, causing them to explode. Farley's art studio is just feet away from his home, and the sound is why he came out to check.
"Time was flying by, I when I came out here, just the garbage [was on fire] and it climbed up the walls," he said. "I called 911, it took him three minutes to get here, and then by that time, it was just pretty out of control."
Farley said he was looking for a water hose or another way to put the fire out himself as panic set in. He said neighbors evacuated their homes.
“I was terrified because, I mean, once I realized that this was over, I was just like, ‘Okay, I'm trying to accept that loss there, but I'm just like praying to God that it does not get to the house or the neighbor's house or the neighborhood. Who knows," he said.
Thanks to the quick response of the firefighters, the flames were extinguished before they could spread to nearby residences. Still, the damage was severe enough for Farley to lose nearly all of his artwork.
“It was probably like 50 paintings in there,” he said. “I’ll never get those back. They were completely unique. And it’s not like I’m going to recreate them or anything. I will make more.”
For the past 10 years, Farley has dedicated himself to oil painting, exhibiting his work in galleries throughout Central Virginia since 2021. His studio, which had been a sanctuary of creativity, now stands as a stark reminder of what had been lost.
“I really like that people are even interested in what I do at all. So having that go somewhere else with someone else, you know, it's like a language, you can communicate with your art, and people respond to it, and if they take it in as their own, then that's kind of nice,” he said, reflecting on the joy that his art had once brought him.
Farley said he is determined to rebuild. With no supplies and no previous works to rely on, he faces the challenging task of starting anew.
You can support Farley here.
