Artist Statement
My artworks 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, scribing a universal language. Each stroke leads to the next, revealing stories of time and place for you to inhabit in peace.
The tranquil beauty of nature is an enduring source of inspiration, and its essence is palpable in my work. I am interested in what lies beneath the surface appearance of things. Observing a sunflower, I ask: What is the sacred geometry of its design, what does it convey, what mystery gives it life?
What I see and then bring into form are creations that reveal the subtle dimensions of reality. I translate nature’s qualities of beauty, transparency, layering, mutability, communication, and life force into art. I express the complexity and fragility of the world.
I paint about energy, consciousness, light, and shadow. The cycles of nature, cosmos, and humankind inform my work. I explore the interplay of perspective and flatness, time/space, order and chaos. In the moment, the creative flow connects me with my right place where I seek to touch the soul at the deepest level.
Curriculum Vitae
Kathleen O’Brien CV2024
Meet the Studio….
BIO
Kathleen O’Brien has been a professional artist since 1968. She has witnessed vast changes in the art market. To stay in the business of art, she has adapted by making the art studio her primary venue. This includes her website and Open Studio events.
For many years she has studied and implemented the skills required to be successful. In addition to her website that she designed and develops herself (with the help of a fantastic VA!) she utilizes direct customer relationship via MailChimp studio updates, and direct contact through email, social media and phone.
She has developed several streams of income derived from her original art; online art program Atlas of the Year, Giclee prints, greeting cards, booklets and rare bead jewelry.
Being born in Japan, living in Italy and traveling the world with her family placed her on the path as an artist. At age twelve she learned oil painting and the love of art paper from her grandfather. During high school in Germany, she studied printmaking at Kunstshule Rödel, Mannheim. This was followed by two years in the BFA program at Daemen College, Amherst, NY. While in Washington, DC she studied oil painting, and served as teaching assistant to William A. Newman, at the Corcoran School of Art. During her 30 years living in Boulder, CO, she created and exhibited paintings, drawings and crafts. While employed at Naropa University she taught through the Extended Studies Program. Her love and respect for nature was deepened while studying with Native American Elders especially Wallace Black Elk.
In 1999 she designed the home and studio her husband built on Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary in Kentucky. A desire to create more loosely led her to combine drawings, water media and botanicals in a collage format. Since being in Kentucky she has created 2,000 + works, mentored, consulted and exhibited nationally. Her lifestyle now is like a collage, integrating art and gardening. She continues to develop their land as a destination for classes and art salons.