Troy McFarland is a fine artist based in Encinitas, California, where the dramatic landscapes and shimmering coastlines of his home state have shaped his lifelong creative vision. From a young age, Troy showed a natural talent for painting—winning art competitions in elementary school and even having his work used as a benchmark by teachers for the rest of the class. While high school was dominated by competitive sports, his early love for art never fully faded.

After bouncing between majors at the University of Arizona and Cal State San Marcos, Troy realized he was investing more in tuition than in his actual future. With his student loan balance nearing the national debt, he made a bold (and financially strategic) pivot: he enrolled at the Laguna College of Art and Design. There, while studying entertainment illustration, he reconnected with his true calling—fine art—and finally found an academic environment where his passion could thrive.

Since then, Troy has built a versatile career as a freelance illustrator for a range of industries, all while steadily developing a fine art portfolio focused on landscapes and seascapes. His paintings aim to capture not just what a place looks like, but how it feels—evoking the moods, memories, and natural beauty that make each scene uniquely Californian.