Stacy’s Words

What makes Stacy’s work so special?

Story by Tiffany Richards

Stacy Marie Farrington is a Clinton Dining Hall staff member at Plattsburgh State University. She swipes ID cards as students come to eat. She swipes with a smile and talks to you like a friend, as other workers in Clinton do. In addition to that charismatic persona, Stacy has a taste for art.

Farrington found an interest in poetry in her seventh grade English class. Her teacher, Ms. Colleen, inspired her to pursue other forms of art. Her poetic inflences are Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost.

Farrington’s poems depend on how she feels at the moment. Her writing is sparatic, she says. It all depends on the mood she's in. Her poems are usually about what’s close to her in life. "Some are for my friends, some are for my kids, some are for my cats," she says with a chuckle. She says her family feels she should get more of her work published.

Farrington wrote a poem dedicated to a friend from high school who was killed by a drunk driver. Her friend Rodney was a quiet, yet smart friend, she adds. Her poem was published in Women’s Day magazine. She had another poem called "Our Neighbor Ryan" published in Cat Fantasy. Farrington has also written a poem dedicated to her grandfather who died in 2005. She submitted the poem to Hallmark, and they may be putting her poem in a card with a dedication to her grandfather on the back.

Family is a major part of Farrington’s poetry. One person who has been there for her throughout her life is her father. She says he has diabetes and has been in and out of the hospital. He was a man who never gave up, she adds. "My dad’s been my hero," Stacy says with a chuckle. "I love my dad."

She has also written poems about September 11 — and about her son Jeremiah, who was taken away from her when he was five.           

Not only does Farrington write, she also draws. Her artwork is based on her children, science fiction, cats, abstract art, and fantasy. She draws based on her mood for the day. "It depends on the day. Whether I woke up on the right side of the bed or not," Stacy says. She explains she draws depending on how bored she is. She can make one or she can make twenty drawings in a day. Farrington calls drawing her stress relief. It’s fun to do, she says. This hobby was passed down to Stacy from her mother.

Farrington enjoys creating art for other people. She likes their reactions. Stacy says she draws "just whatever pops in my head." People tell me want to draw sometimes, she adds. She drew a picture of her friend Rodney and sold it to her high school. Stacy says she has never had a negative reaction to her artwork by anyone.

Her coworkers enjoy her artwork too. Penny Kendall, another clerk at the Clinton Dining Hall, says she believes Stacy is very talented. Farrington drew a picture of a dream catcher for Penny. 

Elsie Golovach, another Clinton Dining Hall employee, believes Stacy could be an art teacher. "She does beautiful artwork. I don’t know why she’s wasting her time here," Golovach adds.            

Stacey's children are influenced by her art also. Farrington’s 13-year-old son, Zackery, is interested in designing cars for NASCAR. His favorite car is the Chevy. Her son likes to confide in her. She wants nothing more than a piece of her son’s art. Stacy’s daughter, Caitlin, 15, is more into poetry than drawing. She finds inspiration in her mother’s poetry. Caitlin wants to teach elementary school English or study wild animals.

"I guess its inspiration," Farrington says.

What inspires you?