Realms of Wonder Begins Tomorrow...

...look at post from April 8, 2012 for Joyous Easter Wishes...
Work is finished, the art is on the walls and looks great, all that's left is for you to experience it. Please tell me what you think!

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien, Realm of Water, detail with light, MM Collage, 22x15"

Brushes

My brushes needed a vacation. These are some of my favorite. The 2 on the left I made with fox fur and deer fur and local bamboo from our farm. Laura Ross, outstanding clay artist from Louisville, gave me the idea that I could make my own. We share the joy of making authentic marks of the brush.

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien, brushes in studio

If I Paint it, It Will Happen

I really want to travel more, to see, to visit, to explore the world. I painted a series of 3 called Traveling the World. Please come to Realms of Wonder at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery to see the other 2!

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien, Traveling the World 3, MM Collage, 15x11"

Realms of Wonder April 1-30, 2013, reception in conjunction with LexArts Gallery Hop, April 19, 5-8 pm.

Surprise Addition to "Realms of Wonder"

Surprise Addition to Realms of Wonder

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien, Traveling Shrine, detail

Click the link above to see a very short video of  a tiny bit of detail of Traveling Shrine for World Appreciation (this is an abbreviated title for now).  Collages were almost complete when the idea to include 1 more magical realm to the exhibit occurred to me. You would be missing out if you do not see it in April at MS Rezny Gallery. After that it will transform into something else, as it has been doing since the mid 90"s.

Joyful Equinox - A Day of Balance

All the world rejoices as spring arrives. Day = Night, a time of balance. To prove this fact balance an egg on its end. It is possible to do this twice a year, for a 24 hour period.

©2005 Kathleen O'Brien, Vernal Equinox, MM Collage, 14x11"

Erin Go Bragh

Top of the Morning, and Happy St. Patrick's Day. May the wind always be at your back. Just pretend the 4 leaf clovers are shamrocks...

©2003 Kathleen O'Brien, Best of Luck, MM Collage, 22x30"

Dollies get a Sneak Peak of Realms of Wonder

Following Alyson Stanfield's expert advice, and for FUN I created a model of the Realms of Wonder show using the to scale proportions of MS Rezny Studio/Gallery. Doing this grounded me in the process of choosing artwork for the display. Plus my dollies wanted to have a close look at the collages.

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien,  Realms of Wonder model in studio 1

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien,  Realms of Wonder model in studio 2

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien,  Realms of Wonder model in studio 3

Realms of Water, Realms of Fire

Following on the theme of the elements I created one collage each for water and fire. The photo below was taken for fun because just as I was finishing in the studio the sun was casting the most beautiful light on the spectrum and brilliantly lighting up the mica. Perhaps this will be a diptych, I haven't decided yet. Do you have an opinion?

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien, Realm of Water & Realm of Fire, 2 MM Collages, each 22x15"

With these collages I deliberately used the symbolism of the signs of the universe. Circle for water since water tends to roundness and the triangle for fire since fire burns in a triangle.

Aquarian Worlds

The theme for the exhibit Realms of Wonder began with 3 collages Inner World, Outer World and 3 Worlds. These past months I have been creating what feels to me like landscapes. I call them realms or worlds since they do exist on paper and in the imagination. This one was more like a skyscape, so full of air.

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien, Aquarian Worlds, MM Collage, 22x15"

Realms of Wonder

My latest collages are featured in a solo show at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky from April 1- 30. The artist reception will be in conjunction with the LexArts Gallery Hop on April 19, 5-8 pm. Each Saturday of the month I will be at the gallery from 12-3 pm to talk to visitors about the art.

©2013 Kathleen O'Brien 3 Worlds, MM Collage 22x15"

Look for some samples I will post in the upcoming days. These collages—composed of abstract watercolors, drawings, and botanicals—are echoes of the healing realms I experience in meditation. Remaining in this state, the energy of the present moment guides me. The brush glides, making true marks playful and abstract, scribing a universal language or elements of sacred geometry. Serene and vibrant color fills the space. Each stroke leads to the next, revealing stories of time and place for you to inhabit in peace.