Kathleen O'Brien Studio

always remebering Dad on his birthday-deathday February 4

2012-02-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

Dad, you would have loved Cai. Just today when he was on his back and he brought out his great big Corgi smile while we scratched his belly, noticing his dense warm fur collar that is known as the fairy saddle, and feeling my smile come up we realized that when he runs off and won’t come back that the fairies have frisked him away.

Arts Day This Thursday 2.2.2012

2012-01-31T17:04:00.000-05:00

February 2 is Arts Day in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Below is a link to the full days’ schedule and 2 of the events that as

an Al Smith Fellowship recipient I invite you to attend .

Arts Day Calendar of Events February 2, 2012

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Guided tour of the Kentucky Visions at the Capitol exhibit. To participate in this free tour, please meet Kentucky Arts Council staff member Kate Sprengnether on the second floor near the main elevators. My piece, 9 bird eggs, is in this show.
Capitol Annex, 700 Capitol Avenue

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Kentucky Arts Council Arts Day reception for arts groups, artists, those interested in the arts and legislators Special guests: Governor’s Awards in the Arts recipients (2011), Kentucky Poet Laureate Maureen Morehead and 2011 Al Smith Fellowship recipients
Berry Hill Mansion, 700 Louisville Road, Frankfort

http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/ArtsDay2012_Schedule.htm

signs of the universe; square, triangle, circle

2011-07-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

For several years I have been fascinated by the 3 basic shapes. This quote thrills me: "The Japanese interpret these three primordial and abstract signs as the graphic and spatial metaphor of the three elements: earth, fire, water. Earth fits into the square, fire burns in a triangle and water tends to roundness." form Traces of the Brush by Louise Boudonnat and Harumi Kushizaki

what do you see?

2011-07-21T19:42:00.000-04:00

Talking to a dear Colorado friend today put a smile on my face when she told me I was currently doing "dimensional art". It made me so happy that it shows in the work on my website, that someone gets it, and further, comments about it because they feel uplifted by it. She was comparing it to an oil painting she bought 20 years ago. One reason she liked it then was that was the view she had driving towards Boulder to work from the plains. She told me she always asks people when they look at this, "what do you see". And she waits for them to see the various objects and animals pictured who are a part of that land. I love this painting and tried to buy it back from her, when I realized I would not be painting like that anymore. I have let my artist self change.

What do you see?

Al Smith Fellowship

2011-07-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my little House Wren who inspired me to create this collaged drawing, which was one of the 10 artworks that won for me the Fellowship. I acknowledge and thank the Kentucky Arts Council for their support of the arts and artists and gladly add the credit they request of us:

In recognition of artistic excellence, Kathleen O’Brien is the recipient of an Al Smith Fellowship Award from the Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, which is supported by state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

going forth

2011-07-08T09:46:00.000-04:00

I was going to correct the mispelling in the last post to say "fourth try", but I decided I like the meaning of going forth. one thing that is liberating is to create something just for myself and want to share them here, as I do not put these on my website.

This one is called "big cloud, silver lining", 30x22". I used some of my Victorian stickers to represent my kids. I never use magazine pictures in my collages, so this was a fun indulgence for me. that's the good red road leading west where they live. I journaled around and around the edges creating a frame.

This one is called "wedding garden", 30x22". I created this one to celebrate my daughter and son in law's wedding under the rainbows and stars where they had their first kiss.

"keep a' goin'" Katherine Hepburn

2011-06-27T19:26:00.000-04:00

this is one of my favorite quotes that has sustained me in the day to day creative process. this morning i found 2 four leaf clovers so i was on alert to what might happen in the day. sometimes it is such a small idea that keeps me producing art, and i may not notice. today it was not subtle for once,I received a commission and more importantly the Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. this was my forth try, so i am especially pleased to recieve this honor. to any one who wonders about sharing their gifts with the world; your art is needed, "keep a' goin'".

summer wonderful

2011-06-25T12:10:00.000-04:00

OK, I really am aspiring to become better at blogging! I am writing more, especially on my art as seen in this border of a collaged painting/ drawing Icreated about my kids, "big cloud, silver lining".

This writing is inspired by working with the students in the 4 seasons class, as we all create pages for our loose leaf journals through the year. I will show some of my book from spring when I get the photos back from the State Photographers. Meanwhile, here we are in summer (better that others!) For us on the farm it means that things have calmed down a bit, everything is on their own and growing. There is time to create.

Spring to Summer to Autumn

2010-10-05T12:52:00.004-04:00

Doesn't it seem like we are in fast forward? Now that we have done much to prepare for the colder months I have been reflecting on the time since the last post! More than ever our efforts attempt to integrate our actions and intentions with how we are creating a destination here at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary as a place for people to experience harmony and creativity. Following the seasons we respond to the needs of the land - planting, harvesting, mowing and more mowing - and our livestock, the bees. This then informs our art endeavors.

always merry and bright

2010-03-15T17:51:00.002-04:00

Imagine my surprise when my latest and favorite collaged drawing, always merry and bright, was attracting attention recently at KY Crafted; the Market. It seemed too abstract to have appeal, but i really wanted to show it, and put it right up front where i sat next to my work area.

The phrase always merry and bright was Henry Miller's life-long mantra, and one I adopted since visiting Big Sur.

Did any one have to write out 100 times in school, "I will not..."? This collage series has always merry and bright written hundreds of times as the first layer. It just made me feel good to write with my fountain pens, and once done the next layers kept laying down one on top of the other.

It felt like always merry and bright was also the atmosphere of this mini environment, as the booth was awarded the Exhibitors Choice Award. The forsythias, new robin egg blue paint, and vermilion chairs to rest tired feet combined to draw people in to take a few moments to allow the healing feeling of art to happen.