Ever since I first walked into kindergarten, I was determined to be an artist. That day I saw a painting on the wall decorating my classroom that inspired me. It was such a wonderful painting—to my five-year-old eyes—that I could barely look at it. I could hardly wait till we were able to paint so that I could make that same painting, but of course then I had to wait until “art” was scheduled.
I’ve been trying to figure out what painting means to me ever since. I’m sure that I am happiest when I’m putting paint on canvas, and I can lose myself in the process. I’ve come to realize that painting is always a learning experience, and that for me, painting relates directly to writing, my other passion. With written expression, the writer always adds, deletes, changes, ever so slightly, the words on the page to make the piece a reflection of meaning. In painting, the same process occurs. Especially when I am working on a portrait, I find myself adding just a little bit more paint, different value, slightly warmer, slightly cooler, etc. to capture the mood of the sitter. My concern is to sculpt the figure, face or object so that it lives.
In 2008, I was able to explore outdoor venues for plein air painting, including a wonderful time on the coast of Maine in July, 2008. I painted in Pound Ridge Preseveration in New York, Waveny Park in New Canaan, CT, and my perennial favorite, Weir Farm in Ridgefield, CT. Weir is my hometown's best kept artist's secret, and it is the only National Historic Site devoted to an artist, American Impressionist, J. Aldus Weir.
In 2009, I loosened my landscape style and started working in abstracts to learn more about integrating abstract forms into conventional landscapes. Imagination is an important aspect of my landscapes, too.
I exhibited my work in my very first one-person show in 2009. Over 25 pieces were installed in the Upstairs Gallery at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.
At the beginning of 2010, I have put the finishing touches on a new portrait. My subject is my parents, Joe and Irene O'Connell. The portrait describes them in the last year of my mother's life, 2005. My parents were married in 1938 and had five children. They had a huge influence not only on me and my siblings, but also on the 13 grandchildren who adored them.
Going forward in 2010, I plan to find a new portrait subject. I also will paint on the Maine coast again, this year at Monhegan Island, with my mentor, Frank Bruckmann who will hold a plein air workshop there in June. There are many, many more landscapes to find, more arrangements of flowers and objects to put into paint.