Watch Lesley Patterson-Marx talk about Monoprinting

This video is about 2 1/2 minutes long. 

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. 

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"

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.

Show 1901 "Transparent Nature"

The Kentucky Life show #1901 on Kentucky Educational Television is now online.

©Kathleen O'Brien, page 24 from WOW Journal, watercolor, ink, KET card, 7x5"

It is about half hour long and the segment about my art "Transparent Worlds" is the last 10 minutes. I am very happy with it. It is amazing the detail closeups they capture. The first 2 segments are very interesting, about Bardstown being named America's most beautiful small town, and Doc Shuffett, who I would like to have as my doc. I think you will enjoy the whole show. Please let me know!

Maestro RC

RC, Jean's partner is such an inspiration, as I mentioned before. What an amazing builder he is. He finds materials everywhere and transforms them into art forms people and animals love to live in. Like the octagonal hen house with painted decorative roof rafters. He recycled silo rings outside it for the structure for protective enclosure. Or the straw bale residence completely powered by the sun. Or the tiny pallet playhouses, with windows and doors, for tiny people. On this visit He was telling me how they are using the wood from their land to make furniture as part of a fire mitigation solution.

One of my favorite things about RC is to hear him sing a melody with his dreamy tenor voice.

Jean Pless, artist supreme

My dear friend, Jean Pless always inspires me, since the early 70's. She always creates what she likes, in the moment. She has an ever changing compendium of skills she adds to her seeming bottomless supply of energy for creativity. She is a painter, paints canvases and everything else. She makes the paint and stucco for the walls on the home she has built from materials near at hand. She grows the plants for the landscaping she is in high demand for. She raises Llamas, creates soil and the most vibrant vegetables at a staggering altitude of 9,200'. An exceptional hostess, this time when I visited she served Dandelion Cake. She made 2, and they were GONE before our eyes. Not stopping there, she made me this tea towel with heliographic dye with the recipe written on it.

©Jean Pless, Dandelion Tea Towel, heliographic painting, sharpie

Also this time she shared her enthusiasm for her recent project of making chairs.

In the background you can see her work in progress home. She lives off the grid and does not have a website, otherwise, I would share that with you as well. Next time I will post the video of her partner, RC talking about some of his wood projects. How lucky I am to have 2 such geniuses to fan my flame of creativity. Thank you, Jean!

UK Wood-firing at the ArtFarm

Earlier in April, Hunter Stamps,  Assistant Professor of Ceramics, University of Kentucky gave us a fascinating demonstration of the  UK Anagama Wood Kiln.It is the hottest wood fire we have ever experienced. The temperature reaches2340 degrees.  His explanations give us a deeper appreciation of pottery fired by this intensive method. 

The process involves keeping a fire going for 4 full days. Each day requires about 1 cord of wood. He and his students were burning wood donated that would otherwise be headed for landfill.  This inferno is fed every few minutes around the clock. Hunter had asked Greg about his wood fired bread oven because he wanted to build a temporary one so they could cook pizzas during this long venture. Nice teacher! You can see their oven midway in the video. It took a full week for the kiln to cool down. When unloaded the beautiful effects of flame and ash on the many objects inside were revealed. I am so glad I met Hunter through the Al Smith Fellowship 2012, Kentucky Arts Council. 

A video of Realms of Wonder installed

I was happy to be at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery last Saturday to talk about the art. We had a chance to make a 3 minute video of how it looks finished. For your viewing pleasure now...and in person this month and reception on the 19th.

Featured Artist Video

Thank you again, Kentucky Arts Council for posting this 5 minute video on YouTube. It brings back good memories of last autumn's Open Studio, when this was filmed. I talk about designing the house and studio, and my process. It was a nice surprise to see my favorite drawings done with walnut ink and the small murmuration outside at the end.

©2012 Kathleen O'Brien, Murmurations of the Darling Starlings 1 detail

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.

Dali Museum - a video

Dali was an early influence for me. It's not that I like all his images, it is the absolute mastery of his painting and his courage to paint from his inner life. Years ago I was astounded to see so many of his paintings at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Then it was a rather plain rectangular building. Recently I visited the NEW museum. What a marvel it is, located on Tampa Bay.

As you will hear in this video, it is so loud. And don't make the mistake we made by going on Thursdays 5-8 pm when the entry is only $10, compared to the usual $22. Everyone had the same idea. I have never seen so many people at a museum and it was difficult to get close to his paintings. But when I did, tears came to my eyes experiencing his brushstrokes. And his huge masterpieces held me spellbound with the stories they tell.

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.

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...

Pastepaper Papierglyphs 4

10 collages finished on the paste paper, worked on the whole month of May. Here is a little video of the results.The series is called "Light of the Earth, primary arithmetic". 

 

The inspiration came from a recent discovery of petroglyphs in Chauvet Cave in France that are dated to 32,000 BC, a Xultun calendar and a 1877 Primary Arithmetic book.

Pastepaper Papierglphs 3

To follow up on a previous post video this one shows some drawing over 4 of the paste papers shown before. Using Caran D'Ache watercolor pencils and crayons, and prismacolor pencils puts me in the mood of

1. the joy of coloring" as a child 
2. being a primitive artist like the ancient artists I emulate here

As I was drawing I realized a stick must have been the original mark making tool, 

either by burning the end to create charcoal 

or to dip into paint. 

This lead me to deepen my love of the pencil, 

a modern art stick.  

The simplicity of it is so appealing.

Pastepaper Papierglyphs 1

Here is an invitation to play, especially if you feel blocked by the dreaded white paper. Make paste paint and do some finger painting! This video show some recent papers that I marked with the idea of petroglyphs in mind. 

 

This is a theme I have been revisiting, since the power of aboriginal art took hold of me in 1988. Then I produced 100 oil paintings of petroglyphs and pictographs of the southwest US. The appeal was about allowing myself to be reduced to the simplest form of communication about healing and intention. I want to follow the thread of thought began in these works of last year:

Book of Light pages 156, 157, 158, The Good Red Road, the Long Path to Peace, triptych 29x12"

The Petroglyphs in this triptych all represent a gathering together in community. And some of my favorites are more abstract:

Book of Light, page 182, 5x8"

Book of Light, page 182, 5x8"

Next time I will have recipes for paste paint.

Lilac Flower Essence

Lilac Nature Spirits, 8x5", collaged drawing

On this beautiful day I set off to make a Lilac flower essence. Drawing the flowers allows me to focus on the connection with the nature spirits. Using this essence grounds us into the birth and rebirth process at this time of year. Personally, it initiated me into motherhood, and now into grand-motherhood. It is one of the few essences that influences the physical body; the spinal column and alignment. If you want to know more about this leave a comment. And here is a little video of the dawning sun through the bushes, the flowers in process and more lilacs.

Botanical Fanatical

Imagine how the Viburnum, Rosemary and Lilacs smell. The spring rush is early this year, and I wanted to share the inspiration that surrounds me. This awesome miracle of continual bloom is the reason I always include botanicals in my artwork. I strive to create my life as an art form, integrating all my activities with art. I tend gardens of vegetables, but  flowers  truly feed my soul.