Beloved apricot blush zinnia, 5th generation from Sunwise Farm & Sanctuary
Welcome to mid-season studio update with news since mid-summer; Annual Open Studios ARTTOUR, Horizon exhibit and talk, new art, and more. (more…)
Brandon Long, Program Director at Community Art Center the host for “Horizon: Contemporary Landscape”, invited me to talk about my piece in the exhibit, “Let us do our best, even if it gets us nowhere.” I always say yes because (more…)
Abundance at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary July 2016
Welcome to mid-season studio update with news since mid-spring; Sunwise Open Studios Celebrations, shows, art, mound hacking, good trades, sanctuary upgrades. This is another favorite time of year, when we take shade behind the Morning Glory wall, (more…)
For several years, artist Nona Orbach has been creating an online artwork called Blog as Artwork, dealing with the revival of the ancient library of Alexandria, using all of the possibilities offered by the internet as the ultimate archive. Mound Hacker is a global art intervention (more…)
In this mid-season studio update I share what’s new since mid-winter. This is another favorite time of year, when we see the joyful return of spring perennials, and with hope plant seeds and welcome the light half of the year – Beltane, May Day!
I am excited to announce Kathleen O’Brien Studio is now open four times a year, at mid-season. Preparations for the next Sunwise Open Studio Celebrations on May 14 are underway, I look forward to seeing many of you here again, 1-4 pm. Opening the studio keeps me focused on sharing new works in progress, new art, new products like the ones seen below, and the best – a chance to showcase the grounds and gardens. This time I’m sharing milkweed seeds and information about becoming a Monarch Waystation.
Still on the drawing board, “Lilac Enchantment”, watercolor, drawing, lilacs combined into collage by Kathleen O’Brien, 22×30″
East Garden at sunset
Geobotanicals, lumbar pillow
Founded in Mystery, carry all pouch
Entry to Kathleen O’Brien Studio
Drawn to the Earth, has just closed. Seeing a year’s worth of art displayed in a gallery is a reward for hard work. I was please to have it during Earth Month. It was such an honor and pleasure to collaborate with Stan Brunn and his geopoetry. We were happy to have so many friends, new and old, attend the opening, and the enjoyed discussing art and poetry with the visitors on the two Saturday events. Very soon those who wrote, drew or collaged in the community journal “Where on earth are you from?” will be receiving their PDF copy.
Gallery view 1 of “Drawn to the Earth”, photo credit Mary Rezny
Gallery view 2 of “Drawn to the Earth”, photo credit Mary Rezny
Gallery view 3 of “Drawn to the Earth”, photo credit Mary Rezny
Juxtapose was a huge exhibit at Community Arts Center, Danville, with over a thousand examples of collage and assemblage. Long time art friend, John Dixon, wrote a great post about many of the pieces and artists. In addition to showing Pollinators 1 and 2, for the first time I showed all 365 postcards from 2006’s Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog. The messages relate to events and celebration of that day. This example is from May 6. In 2006 it was Derby Day, when dear Barbaro won.
#98, May 6, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, front, by Kathleen O’Brien
Juxtapose Reception with John Dixon, Mary Beth Touchstone, Nick Lacy, Brandon Long and me with some of the postcards
This is 50, was installed at the Kentucky Crafted: the Market, in Lexington. Artists were invited to interpret “50” in any way they chose to celebrate Kentucky Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary. Artists from all parts of the state chimed in with broad renderings of the theme. Mine was 50 Colors. Starting with the support, I painted dabs of 50 colors, wet it, which created a perfect grey. Then I collaged 50 painted color samples, scripts and Clary Sage petals. I was honored by Bobbie Curd’s review about it, with a catchy title; 50 Shades of Sage, playing on my 50 years as an artist.
“50 Colors” at “This is 50” exhibit with Kathleen O’Brien
For the first time at the May 14 Open Studio I will have my first silk scarf, in addition to the new carry all pouches, skins, pillows and tote bags. I’ll be developing more items this summer. There are more new greeting cards as well. I must get these on the web pages soon.
Outer World silk scarf by Kathleen O’Brien
We had the privilege of meeting Grand Slam Champion American Pharoah at Coolmore Stud. It’s difficult to describe the feeling of being so close to such a majestic creature, the only horse in history to win the Triple Crown (last winner was 1977) and the Breeder’s Cup. He is so sweet and creates a desire in me to aspire to my highest potential as an artist and as a person. It makes me happy to think that he lives only minutes away from us. Even more thrilling was that we were able to also meet and pet Thunder Gulch and Fusaichi Pegasus, both grand sires and Derby champions.
American Pharoah, Triple Crown Champion at Coolmore Stud
Friday’s reception for “Drawn to the Earth” was a coming together of about 100 art and poetry lovers. Stan Brunn and I were both pleased with the turn-out, and how well received the concept of geopoetry and art flowing together. He read several poems, including “Rivers and Roots”, which you may read in an earlier post – last year’s Earth Day, as a matter of fact. Please join us Saturday, April 16 from 12:30-2 pm at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery when Stan will talk about his forthcoming book, “The Changing World Language Map”. Thanks to Melissa Hall for the beautiful photographs she took during the reception.
Monday, it was time to install “Drawn to the Earth” at MS Rezny Studio/Gallery. Honestly, I like things that are well hung, but it’s not my favorite thing to hang an exhibit. Fortunately, I had expert help from my husband and Mary Rezny. It became simpler when we learned to mark a line at 60″ with a string, which became the midpoint for all the pieces, no matter their size. It also helps to have a scale model as a starting point. (more…)
All 30 pieces of my art for the Drawn to the Earth exhibit are ready to hang. As these visionary maps unfolded in my mind, I came to see them as a bird would. My longtime love of drawing and painting birds truly gave me a bird’s-eye perspective of the series. And yesterday, for the Equinox, we embedded tiny seeds in the freshly amended soil outside the studio, hoping the birds would spare them, even though the insects probably won’t. (By the way, we spread diatomaceous earth in the planting zones to handle insect pests.) (more…)
Spring shows up in the most deliciously distracting ways on the farm. My next show, Drawn to the Earth, is almost ready to hang, but there are still many small logistical To-Do’s on my list. Meanwhile, the spring birds are coming back in full song. If I open the window to hear the Robin song, the Bluebird song, the Red-Winged Blackbird song, I’m drawn out the door and into their world, away from my hectic studio tasks and checklists. (more…)
Last week, Stan Brunn visited the studio to explore my artwork and select his most relevant geopoetry for our joint Drawn to the Earth exhibit that opens March 29th at the MS Rezny Studio/Gallery, in Lexington, Kentucky. His visit was enriching for me as I got to hear Stan’s insightful responses to my art – and he truly sees rather than merely looking. (more…)