5th Open Studio Was Superlative

It was exciting to meet so many new Art Lovers and to welcome back loyal collectors. Thank you all for coming, and sharing your opinions about how you loved the studio, the art, the drive through the countryside. You made it a memorable occasion. I made this 2.5 minute video for those of you who could not make it, and as a souvenir for those who did.

It was good to learn that so many people loved the idea of the ARTTOUR and were able to see some of the other 10 locations.

I loved what Brandon Long  from Community Art Center shared on Facebook; We had a great time at your studio. It was the one place that my baby  didn't want to be held. She kept wiggling loose so she could see what was next. My girls loved the display case with the hand made dolls. J. later found a gingko leaf and pressed it in her sketchbook so she could use it in a collage. So inspiring. 

look for this sign

Look for this sign as you drive through the countryside for this weekend's Open Studio ARTTOUR.

©John A. Dixon, ARTTOUR sign, 18 x 24"

And I will look for you coming down my driveway at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary to Kathleen O'Brien Studio.

Map to the ARTTOUR Open Studios

Click here to find a printable map to all 12 locations on the ARTTOUR. This is the first year that there are 12 locations in Mercer and Boyle counties. I am very excited to see the interest that will be generated in the arts. In the past years I have teamed up with Pleasant Hill, Mike Frasca and Fox Hutt, so now we have really expand! Enjoy a scenic country drive November 2 - 3 and stay awhile.

©O'Brien & Dixon, thumbnail of the ARTTOUR map

On the same website, find a printable itinerary;

©O'Brien & Dixon, thumbnail of the ARTTOUR itinerary

And you may follow us on our Facebook Event Page.

You Will See New Art in a Gorgeous Setting

I just got so excited watching last year's Open Studio video. It brought back memories of talking with you about art & life. And just seeing, again, some of the art that went home with you brings my mission of art more clearly into focus. So as I hang my latest I look forward to hearing your responses in a few days.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Monad, watercolor, drawing, rose petal, found image, ink, collage, 12x7.5"

Surprises & Prizes at the Open Studio

If you remember after last years Open Studio I sent an email saying if you printed it out and brought it to my 5th annual Open Studio you would have a chance to win an original collage. Well, if you forgot, contact me, I will resend the email to you. There will be more surprises. I'll show you here 1 prize for the first 6 visitors who want a souvenir from Sunwise Farm & Sanctuary;

©Kathleen O'Brien, Flower Seeds

but I'm not saying all...

A Surprise for Your Kiddies

Here at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary we have hundreds of birds. they are distracting at times. Like on a dusk walk if we see a big bird, we know it is the owl. I thought for my 5th Annual Open Studio I would make a coloring book about a few birds you may see while you are here.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Some Birds You Might See at Sunwise Farm & Sanctuary, coloring book

While you are here seeing lots of art, you might want to walk on our numerous trials to have a walkabout, probably escorted by one of our or neighbor Corgis.

©Kathleen O'Brien,  trail back to the house from Honeysuckle Haven with Corgi

I will be sending updates to our ARTTOUR facebook event page. You will want to find out about the other 11 participating locations' activities!

A Table of Elements with only 25...

...or is it a Magic rectangle of 5 x 5. If you look really closely while your are here at the 5th annual open studio you will see that the tiny heart shaped petals are glued onto parts from the periodic table of elements.This multiple is not quite a magic square, yet upon closer look each of the red numbers adds up to 65 horizontally.

©Kathleen O'Brien, 7 Elements, watercolor, drawing, solder, petals, collage

What are the 7 elements that you see?

©Kathleen O'Brien, 7 Elements, detail, watercolor, drawing, solder, petals, collage

Wood Fired Bread Oven Preparations

In a few weeks we will fire up Greg's masonry bread oven to cook harvest fare for the open studio. We enjoy it, and we know it's getting close to the time we'll see you.

©Greg Orth, wood fired bread oven

Greg's book,  "My Experience Using "The Bread Builders" Book, or How I Made a Masonry Wood Fired Oven" is available on Amazon.com. It has many photos of his meticulous step-by-step process.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Greg working on the oven

And you might enjoy watching this video we made last year, just before 4th Annual Open Studio.

Simply Numbers

You will see a lot of new collages at my 5th annual open studio. Since the summer time numbers, math, geometry have continued to hold my interest. This multiple is simply numbers. When I was painting I wanted to have every color, I felt like a kid. That stage was really loose and fun.  Each number was drawn with ink, then laminated over the watercolor. Each piece has that number of petals, mica & scripts. Either I am regressing, or this was created for a child's room. Or both... .

©Kathleen O'Brien, Numbers 2,detail of Numbers 1-9, watercolor, drawing, collage

©Kathleen O'Brien, Numbers 1-9, watercolor, drawing, collage

Sharing Figs

Part of everyday for the past few weeks is spent gathering figs. And we are also harvesting our first lemons. Imagine.

©Greg Orth, figs and lemon

For YOU and the 5th annual Open Studio I have concocted a fig, lemon, caramelized onion & orange thyme jam to go on crackers we'll make in the bread oven. (see next week's post about Greg's wood fired oven). 

©Greg Orth, fig tree & 6' zinnias

Gratefully, we had plenty of rain this summer so our fig tree this year is immense, with hundreds of figs. And we were looking up at those zinnias, unbelievable. Along with giving bags of figs away, eating fresh ones everyday, i have made fig - lemon marmalade, fig - orange marmalade and dried so many. Soon your can taste for yourself

Free 4 the picking

First of all, Welcome to you, Autumn at 4:44 pm ET today.

Here is a sneak peak for some collages I am working on for the Open Studio November 2-3. For some mysterious reason I am inspired by numbers and geometry lately. This is a series about Magic Squares.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Magic Square of 4, in shadow

The series began with the thought of using my 4 leaf clovers. Walking the Corgis at a brisk pace, I will suddenly stop and gaze at a 4 leaf clover. It is so mysterious to me, this has happened countless times.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Magic Square of 9, in process

I am not bragging, but my poor husband has never found one. This does not mean he is poor, but we have been putting our heads together about how we could transfer this luck to the lottery. Does anyone have any suggestions? 

©Kathleen O'Brien, Magic Square of 16, in process

Oh, do come to the Open Studio, maybe you can take one of these home with you for a little bit of luck. Or find one yourself on our trails. there must be hundreds out there!

Guest writer, Mariel Smith

As an artist, it is so thrilling to have my art purchased and cherished  by someone like Mariel who can also be  articulate about her decision to acquire what spoke to her. This is what she shared;

by Mariel Smith

I first encountered Light of the Earth 1 at Kathleen's home and studio. My boyfriend Andrew and I were there as part of the annual Art Tour that many local artists participate in. It was my first time at her home, and it was absolutely lovely. We got a tour of the garden, the bread oven, and their lovely home which is full of light, warmth, and color (very welcome on a chilly November day!). 

©Mariel Smith & Cricket, with Light of the Earth 1 by KO'B

As I wandered through her studio and living room, I was stopped short by her collection inspired by Chavaux Cave, a French cave with spectacular prehistoric drawings and paintings in it. Andrew and I had recently watched the documentary about it, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, and been transfixed by the depth and beauty of the ancient artwork.

Open Studio experience was exceptional for all!

This past weekend's Open Studio was wonderful. Instead of being tired, I have a smile on my face thinking back to all the special people who came through our door to see the art. And many rejoiced in the grounds on the fine sunny Sunday doing somersaults on the lawn or running up hills with all the neighborhood corgis following. The food enhanced the experience. One visitor said, "this exceeds all my expectations" and it certainly exceeded mine. Much art went to good homes, which is the ultimate joy for me. So I made a short video of the interior, for those of you who could not come, and as a memory keeper for those who were  here. We are excited to see you again next time. Till then, keep in touch...

Watch Video of Baking in the Bread Oven

Last weekend's weather was superlative for firing up the bread oven. It is an all day procedure, so we need to make sure we will have the success to provide refreshments for the Open Studio in just a few days now. In the kitchen there is much preparation and lots of washing dishes. Outside, the fire is tended for about 4 hours until the masonry is 600 degrees.

Pizza and bread are baked at the highest temperatures, then many other foods are cooked as the temperature lowers after the breads are done. The next day when it registers at 100 degrees we make yogurt.

Surprise Gifts for the Correct Answers

Everything is getting reorganized. Everything is within reach, yet it also has an inspiring appearance to my specs. After finishing many new artworks, it is a relief to put everything away until the next onslaught of ideas that brim over. + having your studio open and scrutinized is a great excuse to clean up.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Studio Corner

So here is a challenge: answer a question about the photo correctly to receive a surprise gift. The first person to answer each question gets one, 1 to a customer. (zoom in) Bring your answer to the Open Studio. Look closely because I will remove some things.

1. Which box do I keep mica in?
2. Who is the reigning artist on view?
3. How many animals do you see?
4. What series is that collage from?
5. Which State bird is there?
6. How many triangles/pyramids are there?
7. What is that blue semi-circular thing?
8. What is in the longish black box, and what's on top of it?

Series of Series Preview Of Open Studio pt 5

The background on this series of 4 is almost entirely script and other secret messages. Unfortunately for house plants, I don't have a green indoor thumb, these leaves are all that are left of my little trees.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Olive Grove for Peace 1, watercolor, pencil, Olive leaves, stamp

Series of Series Preview Of Open Studio pt 4

This series of 12 features tree leafs and a certain word...

©Kathleen O'Brien, Light of Autumn 5, watercolor, pencil, leaf, word

Series of Series Preview Of Open Studio pt 3

More places, more maps, bring your imagination to the Open Studio. 

©Kathleen O'Brien, There Are Places I'll Remember All My Life, Giza, watercolor, pencil, petals, glue

4 in this series - I LOVE this one...

Series of Series Preview Of Open Studio pt 2

The wanderlust has caught hold of me. 

Traveling into my birds eye world, then charting it is a close second to being there.

©Kathleen O'Brien, By the Beautiful Sea, Greece, watercolor, pencil, stamp, mica, petals

4 in this series, come and see, it is hard to see the subtlety of pencil online...

Series of Series Preview Of Open Studio

Starlings have been the subject of many artworks ever since I have been here, where they visit and vanish. Their murmurations stop me in my tracks, whatever I am doing, humbled. I attempt to feel their murmurations so they can be expressed as energetically as I experience them. If only humans could figure out how to murmurate, think of the harmony that would be.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Murmeration of the Darling Starlings, watercolor, pencil, glue

4 in this series, come see the others and read the fine print...