The Bridge, from 1989, has come to symbolize for me crossing into a whole new phase into a realm of clouds, soon I was to find myself painting cloudscapes. It is 48 inches square, but the image is cut off in this only slide I have of it. The collectors love it, but honestly I wish I still had it. There are the last of the petroglyphs subtly painted into the starry sky and on the left side of the bridge. It is superimposed over the detailed painting of the earth.
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Bridge”, oil painting, 1989
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Bridge”, detail, oil painting, 1989
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Fahada Butte”, oil painting, 1989
“All Souls, Sacred Symbols Time and Space” show in Boulder with cloudscapes by Kathleen O’Brien, 1989
For another show I created a series of assemblages that incorporated tiny oil painting of skies. Tract Home Transformation was a glass house, and the painting below was the back wall. It was broken at the gallery unfortunately. Luckily it was too small for anyone to live in…
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Niwot Ridge Tract Home Transformation Wall”, oil painting, 1990
You can see these assemblages at my studio, I couldn’t part with them. Window Seat, Looking Out is a small box, again inspired by Joseph Cornell. The glass prevents a good photo of it. There are acrylic spacers next to the oil of the sky which allows light to come inside the box, come see for yourself!
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Window Seat, Looking Out”, assemblage with oil painting, porcelain doll, mother of pearl carving, crystal ball, 1989
The path forward was inspired by Highway, another recurring image then and now.
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Kiva”, assemblage with oil paintings, figures, ant hill pebbles, 1989
© Kathleen O’Brien, “We Honor You, Niwot”, oil painting, 1990
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Self Portrait”, drawing, 1989
For much of 1990 I focused on creating rattles and dolls.
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Sunset Rattle”, oil painting on gourd, bead work, carved wood, 1990
© Kathleen O’Brien, “Earth Mother”, clay, fabric objects, 1990