Sophie Ecclestone. Pics Courtesy/Paulette Farrell

While she does not categorise herself specifically as an artist of cricket (her gallery includes quite the repository of football too, from Trent Alexander Arnold and Jack Grealish to Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp), the Cheshire-resident admits her love affair with the sport began in the late ’90s. “I have been a cricket fan for about 30 years, having watched my first cricket match at the Ashes tour in Adelaide. When I started to take up art, it [cricket] seemed the natural thing to draw.”

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Farrell’s works range from international to domestic tourneys. One of her latest work is a tribute to the recently concluded first-ever Women’s Premier League won by Mumbai Indians. It captures India’s women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur in her Mumbai Indians gear. “She [Kaur] played for Lancashire Thunder and I watched her play live, which is why I wanted to paint her.”

England cricket team and Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Harry Brooks with his portrait

She might not be an ardent fan of the T20 game, but Farrell says, “I’ve been following women’s cricket for a long time. It has suddenly leapt forwards in the last few years. While I do prefer One Day Internationals and Test cricket, but I did watch this IPL to see how it will evolve.”

Talking about her portraits, Farrell explains, “The pose is more important to me than who it actually is. I enjoy capturing the potential energy of the situation, so just before the ball is bowled or just as the batter is about to hit the ball. There’s something electric about those moments,” she says. Given a choice though, she’d prefer the bowlers. “I do prefer to paint bowlers because there’s less equipment to paint and I like the complicated poses they create,” says the artist.

Paulette Farrell

Farrell began sketching while accompanying her children on their cricket matches. “All my children played cricket, so to help fill the time while watching matches I started to bring a sketchbook with me,” the 54-year-old Lancashire fan shares. It took her 10 years of drawing with charcoal, before she could find her way to painting figures. She remarks, “I spent many years watching YouTube videos, taking courses and reading books; just learning how to draw figures and get their likeness.” A collector’s favourite, she admits that the demand often defines her choice of subjects. Her current challenge is the series, Legends of Cricket — portraits of cricketers she has not seen in action. “These are cricketers who I haven’t seen play in a lot of cases, so it’s fun to research and watch old footage and work out their signature shots or bowling action,” she says.

While it fascinates our cricket-mad mind, her work is not all about cricket. “My drawings and paintings are influenced by my life and surroundings. What connects them are moments. They represent a wish to extend those moments, to make them eternal and never lose them,” she writes. You cannot argue with that mission.

Log on to: paulettefarrell.com