I’ve always been fascinated with mermaids. I love the beach, although most beach themed decor bores me silly. I decided to paint my own mermaid for my bathroom, which is my safe haven after a long day. Here she is, shimmering in the surf.
Archives: Projects
The Goddess Has Risen
This is another one I started as part of expressing my grief at my father’s death. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it became clear that the goddess wanted to be seen. I obliged! I don’t know how much my dad would like it, but it’s a tribute to him anyway. She now lives in the crafts room of a dear friend.
Floating into the Sunset ~ another collaboration with Kat Silver
I did the background for this: the water, the sky and the beach itself. Kat added the floating whales and the people on the beach looking up at them. I love this painting, but didn’t realize until last night that it could be about death. I wasn’t consciously thinking about my father’s death when I painted this, but there it is. It’s eternally fascinating to me how art brings to the surface things that are floating around in your mind.
Tails of the Jungle – a collaboration
Another local artist whose work I love asked me if I would be interested in collaborating with her on some paintings for an upcoming exhibit. I jumped at the chance and had so much fun doing it. We decided that I would do the background paintings and she would add her whimsical surrealism to my landscapes. Here is the first one we did, signed and ready for submission. You should check out her work, too, at
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/katsilverart
and
Where I Can Always Find You
I did this piece because I was having a hard time with the idea that I don’t know where my father is. That may sound a little strange, but for some reason, it’s been the hardest thing for me to accept about his death. I did a smaller version of it on paper for the Intuitive Abstract Painting Workshop I led at Acceleration Art and Photography Gallery. I’d love to hear from you about what you see in this. I’ve found some whimsical aspects.
Peaceful Shores
I started painting again three weeks after my father died. He loved nature, and he loved going to my sister’s house at Grayton Beach. This is an image that allows me to think of him at peace.
Trees at Twilight in Early Spring
Sometimes I just have to do a painting for myself to exercise my creative “muscles.” This is one I did by using a photograph I took looking up at the trees in our front yard and across the street. There’s a particularly lovely light that we get at a certain time of day when it’s slightly overcast, and I wanted to capture that. I used Prisma to get ideas for some different effects and I wanted to experiment with a new paint color, so I mixed phthalo green with a lot of white and a little Payne’s Grey and started making vague shapes where leaves would be, using brushes and palette knives. Once I did that, the painting guided me to where branches would be. Here’s the work in progress. The background looks more pink than it actually is because the painting (acrylic on canvas board) was sitting on a red chair when I took the picture. I may have to do another similar one with a pink background. Please feel free to comment and/or ask questions. I love talking about art.
This is an update from today!
Sunset in Cypress Grove
It took me a while to finish this big beauty. It was featured at an exhibit at Acceleration Art Gallery in Fountain Square, Indianapolis, and currently hangs in my den. I look at it every morning when I’m doing tree pose; it helps me keep my balance.
Midwest Winter Sunrise
This was inspired by a stunning photograph by Ohio artist and photographer Shannon Godby. He was gracious enough to give me permission to use his photograph, although he does a lot of his own paintings from his own photos. I like the drama of the sky against the stark bare trees. It was fun to play with those trees. This is now living at my old friend David Rockhold’s metal art studio.
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Resist
I’m finally satisfied with this painting, which I approached in an entirely different way. It’s exciting! Every time I look at it, I see something I didn’t see the last time. This is thrilling to me, and now that my perspective is colored by the current political climate, what I see in it has moved me to call it simply Resist. How many different things do you see?
It’s the Edge of the World as We Know It
This is a work based on Louisiana photographer John Snell’s photograph entitled Pontchartrain Reflections. I just sold it to a fellow artist!
Western Lake with lavender sky
I just finished this painting for my sister, who suggested I do a painting of this iconic scene in Grayton Beach, Fl. It’s been one of my most popular scenes and she was feeling a little unhappy that everyone else has a version of this, but she doesn’t have one. Soon she will!
Sailboat on Lake Pontchartrain at sunset
This is a mini I just finished. I may give it to someone for Christmas if I don’t sell it. It’s 5 x 5″, acrylic on canvas.
Bald Cypress, finished and signed!
This painting I’m working on (above) is inspired (again) by a photograph of Frank Relle’s (see below). I did a more impressionistic version of it this time, and changed the colors a little. If you’re ever in New Orleans, you owe it to yourself to check out his gallery on Royal St. After much deliberation and consultation with some of my friends, I decided not to put leaves on my version of it. I like the drama of it. This was a really fun painting to do, and I may do some other impressionistic versions of it before all is said and done. Maybe the next one will have leaves. 
Pamela O'Brien Art 