New Work: Phases

Kelly M. O'Brien, Playing With Fire, No. 42 (Green). Paper, flame, spray paint. 28 x 28 x .5 inches. ©2017.

This coming September I'll be debuting my Playing With Fire series in Germany with a solo exhibition at Galerie Uhn in Königstein-im-Taunus. Plans are coming along nicely for a body of work that both showcases work similar to the PWF commissions that I've been doing steadily for the past 18 months, as well as pieces that take the work in some new directions.

Kelly M. O'Brien, Playing With Fire, No. 36 (Pink). Paper, flame, spray paint. 28 x 28 x .5 inches. ©2017.

One such direction is Phases, a small series of six pieces that attempt to categorize and put order to an otherwise uncontrollable, ephemeral combination: paper and fire. Oh, the metaphors! The fact that these works emerged during a particularly stressful time in my personal life is no surprise.

Kelly M. O'Brien, Playing With Fire, No. 43 (Orange). Paper, flame, spray paint. 28 x 28 x .5 inches. ©2017.

Deep meaning aside, I'm particularly pleased with the experiments using subtle color. Viewed straight-on, the color is a faint glow of pink, orange or green. From an angle, the color becomes more noticable, a reward for looking at things differently.

Playing With Fire | Galerie Uhn | 25 August – September 28, 2017 | Vernissage: Friday, 25 August, 19:00

All images are by Z. Al-Gafoor, Image Centre, Bath

Exhibition: Art+Text 2017

Art+Text 2017 opened this week at 44AD artspace in Bath, co-curated by Sveta Antonova and myself. We had a nice pool of submissions to choose from, ending up with a collection of work by artists from all over the UK, as well as the US, Europe and Australia.

Co-curator Sveta Antonova with Sid & Jim's Facebook Conversation

Awesome intern Nina with Kate McDonnel's I Had a Dream

Opening night, Art+Text 2017, 44AD artspace

The artist book Reading Corner with Tania Robertson's Indian Takeaway

Kenji Lim, live performance

Emma Lloyd, Transition I

Sharon Gale and Jason Gale, Quiz British Angst

Siobhan Humston, (W)HERE IS PARADISE

Rachael Coward, Note to Self

Stephan Woolley, Boringremixbook

Charlie Harryman

Gemma Green, Fieldnotes 15

Emma Lloyd, Catalina Barroso-Luque, Christopher Holden

Annelies Egli, Schnürlischrift

Annie Le Santo, HOW COULD YOU

The work spans a range of mediums - video, print, sculpture, installation, performance, painting - and even spills into the surrounding city. It's been so inspiring to see the innovative ways that artists are using text in art!

I'm pleased with the response my own installation is getting, Postcards from the Edge. As an American living in the UK during the 2016 Brexit vote, and then the US Presidential election, I've watched in dismay as events have unfolded on both sides of the Atlantic. For the installation, I created four different postcard designs and printed them as monotypes, with messages to President Trump and Prime Minister May respectively. At the end of the exhibition, I'll collect all completed postcards and mail them to the respective heads of state.

Art+Text 2017 is open through February 26, daily 12 to 6 pm and Sunday 1 to 4 pm. There's a closing reception on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3pm at 44AD artspace, 44 Abbey Street, Bath, BA1 1NN.

Exhibition: Cam Valley Arts Trail Group Spring Event

Please join us for a one-day exhibition, demonstrations, and art sale of the Cam Valley Arts Trail Group! Featuring fine art and handmade goods from local artists and artisans. There will be demonstrations and “taster” activities, including how to use the die-cutter that I use to make my paper farm animal garlands and buntings. Refreshments including coffee, tea and cakes will be on offer as well. Free entry!

CVAT Group Spring Exhibition and Sale

Saturday, April 30, 2016

11 am to 5 pm

Conygre Hall, North Road, Timsbury, Bath, BA2 0JQ

Exhibition: Everything is Fine with Betsy

I'll be back in Germany for the third group exhibition, Everything is Fine with Betsy, of our Frankfurt-based artist collective, CKCK. If you're in the area, please come see me, even if it's for a quick hello and hug! We'll be at grassgruen* to install all week, starting April 18th. The Opening is Friday, April 22 at 7pm. I'll be in town until Monday the 25th.

In conjunction with Betsy, we're publishing our first group catalog, now available for pre-order. I'm so happy with the result! The catalog will also be available for purchase at our Vernissage on the 22nd.

We're also offering two sets of artists talks: Sunday, 24 April @3pm will be me and Claudia Grom; Saturday, 30 April will be Chris Kircher and Katja v. Ruville. Details about each talk here.

Everything is Fine with Betsy

April 22 - May 1, 2016

grassgruen* | Vogelbergstrasse 38, 60316 Frankfurt

Opening: 22 April @7pm

Hard Tryer at ArtTeaZen

Breakfast with Ian Lowe at ArtTeaZen in Langport , after installing Hard Tryer small works on paper. ©2016 Kelly M. O'Brien.

Several years into my journey as a working artist, I'm learning that you can happily revisit earlier work and it can still feel fresh. Without experience and perspective, I didn't realize this was possible. When my watercolor series, Hard Tryer, was put to bed after its debut at Galerie Uhn in early 2014, I moved on to other ideas.

Kelly M. O'Brien, No Fear. Watercolor, coffee and pencil on paper. 20 x 15 cm. ©2013.

I recently installed 17 small works from this series at ArtTeaZen in Langport. Owners Andy and Clare Waller have created a welcoming, pleasant café with just enough funk to make it interesting, and happen to be steady supporters of local artists through the venue's rotating exhibitions.

Hard Tryer small works on paper at ArtTeaZen, Langport. ©2016 Kelly M. O'Brien.

While most of the pieces are upbeat and light (It's Okay, Good Enough, Way Easier, Yay!), there's a row of darker pieces (Judgey, Consequences, Denial is Easier) that might garner some interesting comments, if people do indeed take a closer look.

Kelly M. O'Brien, Judgey. Watercolor, coffee and pencil on paper. 40 x 30 cm. ©2013.

It wasn't until this past November, when I showed four pieces from this series in 44AD ArtSpace's Art+Text exhibition, that I was reminded of how fond I am of the work - both the soft, minimalist aesthetic, and the message. At a time when I'm starting to put my work out there in new ways, Hard Tryer's simple reminders are perfect timing.

Kelly M. O'Brien, She Decides to Show Up. Watercolor, coffee and pencil on paper. 20 x 15 cm. ©2013.

If you're near Langport before the end of May, stop in! Details here.

New Catalog: Everything is Fine With Betsy

For the past two years, I've had the pleasure of a growing collaboration and friendship with German artists Claudia Grom, Chris Kircher and Katja v. Ruville. We had our first joint exhibition in 2014, another last summer, and our next one will be in April this year.

To mark this journey together, we have created our first exhibition catalog. Beautifully designed by Katja—an award-winning book designer for leading German publishers—the hard-bound, 210-page, bilingual catalog will be released at our Vernissage on April 22.

The catalog features images from all of our exhibitions, including a preview of the work being shown in April. We are delighted to have two essays written for us by Professor Vroni Schwegler and Merja Herzon-Hellstén. And there are plenty of behind-the-scenes images and information about how the work and our collaboration has evolved.

The catalog is available now to pre-order for €25 ($28), and you can purchase it online here. For Frankfurt locals, you can pick it up at grassgrün in April if you want. For everyone else, we can arrange for shipping.

Exhibition: "Accordingly - Art+Text"

How I love the combination of art and text! The influence of the book arts has never really left my work, as I'm always fighting the urge to add text to my paintings, prints and sculpture.

Happily, the two will coexist in an upcoming group exhibition that includes several of my Hard Tryer pieces. Curated by Graeme Hobbs and Robert Lee, the exhibition will be at 44AD ArtSpace in Bath.

Accordingly...Art+Text | 44AD ArtSpace | 4 Abbey Street, Bath, BA1 1NN

November 3 - 8, 2015 | Private View: November 7th, 6 to 8 pm

Exhibition: "Time and Place" at the RUH

Image: Fiona Mackenzie-Spence

Last night was the Opening for Time and Place, an exhibition at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) here in Bath. Two of my most recent pieces from the New Country series are included in the show.

This exhibition explores how artists have been inspired by landscapes, seasons and nature both real and imaginary. The pieces selected are abstract, contemporary, representational or even of another world.

Time and Place exhibition at the RUH. Blink and You'll Miss Her (left) and But Do You Really See Me? (right), overpainted photos on canvas. ©2015 Kelly M. O'Brien.

It was great to see the support for this award-winning program at the RUH—local officials, hospital leadership, volunteers, artists and other guests enthusiastically wandered the long hospital halls to take in the art. The impact on patients, staff and other visitors has proven to be very positive and healing.

A big thank you to Carol Carey and everyone at Somerset Art Works for facilitating this exhibition, as well as myriad other opportunities throughout Somerset during the Art Weeks Festival '15.

Time and Place
October 9, 2015 - January 15, 2016

Royal United Hospital (The RUH) | Combe Park | Bath, BA1 3NG

Open daily 8am–8pm (Central Corridor, Zone B and Courtyards)

EXTENDED: "the artist is not present" at Galerie Uhn through Sept. 9

Left to right: Claudia Grom, Man in the Moon; Kelly O'Brien, You're New Around Here, Aren't You?; Chris Kircher, Mädchenkopf; Katja v. Ruville, lunaria

I am delighted to announce that our small group exhibition, the artist is not present, has been extended at Galerie Uhn through September 9th.

A dear friend who lives in Königstein recently send me a snapshot looking through the gallery window at my piece, Village Committee. She and her daughter were passing by. They didn't realize that Galerie Uhn had relocated to its new location, and the painting caught her daughter's eye, causing her to retrace their steps to take a closer look. What I love best is that they're reflected in the image too.

Florentine and Louisette Winkel at Galerie Uhn. Image credit: Louisette Winkel

Galerie Uhn's owner, Jimin Leyrer, recently had this to say about our show:

"The response to this exhibition has been very strong. Each artist's work has garnered specific and thoughtful praise. Together, it makes a particularly strong show. I am so proud of each of them and hope that we get a lot of visitors in the remaining time that the exhibition is open."

Galerie Uhn opening hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 - 17:00, Saturday 10:00 - 13:00 and by appointment | Hauptstraße 34, 61462 Königstein | Tel: 06174-221750

The Artists Were Present at Galerie Uhn

The artists were all present at Friday's Galerie Uhn Vernissage for the artist is not present, along with a fine gathering of friends, collectors, and Königstein locals.

The exhibition features an installation of Lichtobjekte by Katja v. Ruville, scrapmetal sculpture by Chris Kircher, videos and an installation by Claudia Grom, and overpainted photographs by Kelly O'Brien.

Presence took some effort. Kelly drove from her home near Bath, England to deliver new work and help install the exhibition during the week. Claudia navigated a six-hour time zone difference from her current location in Bali, not only to direct the installation of her work, but to participate by Skype in the Vernissage.

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the Taunus for the event! We are especially grateful to Frau Jimin Leyrer of Galerie Uhn for mounting our exhibition and hosting the event. Special thanks to Pat Roth for the photographs.

Our work is available at the gallery until August 28th. Opening hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 - 17:00 and Saturday 10:00 - 13:00. Galerie Uhn is closed for summer holiday July 31 - August 15.

We invite your presence! Please stop in, bring a friend, and enjoy a cup of green tea while you browse.

Next up for the Joint Portfolio Project: NIH

Next up for the Joint Portfolio Project: The National Institutes of Health Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland. The exhibition opened last Saturday and runs through September 11. We are also preparing for our next stop at the Bristol Art Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island.

The project's founder, Carol Strause FitzSimonds, recently interviewed me. She is preparing for a discussion panel on the project, to be hosted by the museum as part of the Opening events.

CSF: Why did you do this portfolio project?

KO: My situation is a bit different in that I am a former Printmakers, Inc. member who lives overseas. It felt great to be invited and I saw the project as a way to continue my relationship with the studio. When I was a member, we did something similar for the group's 35th anniversary and it was very rewarding.

CSF: What did you personally get out of the experience?

KO: Continued connection to a group of artists that I like and respect. An introduction to the talented printmakers of the Providence Art Club. Exposure for my work in ways I could not have garnered on my own. The satisfaction of being part of something beautiful and professionally done.

CSF: How much of your time was required to meet this committee? Biggest challenge?

KO: Developing and producing the print edition took about a month. I've also helped out with marketing by managing the project's Facebook page, which has been fun. The biggest challenge has been being so far away! I wish I could be at all of the exhibitions and meet other artists who are part of the collaboration.

Exhibition: "the artist is not present" at Galerie Uhn

Claudia Grom, 2015, The Man in the Moon, Video

I am pleased to announce our second exhibition as a group with my German colleagues Chris Kircher, Claudia Grom and Katja v. Ruville. The artist is not present opens this Friday, July 10 at Galerie Uhn and continues to August 29.

The title plays with the idea that presence does not have to be physical. Two of us are currently not or are no longer living in the Frankfurt area. We have remained committed to a shared vision and professional practice of our work as presented in our first exhibition to be continued. Since then, we have continued to collaborate and support one another virtually through regular Skype meetings, bi-annual retreats and group exhibitions.

Katja v. Ruville, 2015, vergraben | buried, porcelain, black rice, mung beans, rice noodles, pigment,  ∅ 13cm, 18 cm, 22 cm | 21 x 21 cm

Over the past year, we have each had our own personal experience of what “not being present” means, reflected in the work. Whether it is relocating to a different country, traveling the world with a long term art project, retreating into one’s inner world, or working in other fields – each development has stretched, as well as enriched the group's bond.

Chris Kircher, 2014, Mädchenkopf | girls head, scrap metal, welded

Exhibited work includes scrap metal sculpture by Chris Kircher, porcelain and light objects by Katja v. Ruville, an installation combined with live performance art from Asia by Claudia Grom, and some of my New Country work.

Kelly O’Brien, 2015, You’re New Around Here, Aren’t You?, overpainted photograph on canvas

The artists will be present. If you are in the Frankfurt area, I hope to see you there!

the artist is not present
July 10 through August 29, 2015
Opening: July 10, 7:00 pm
Galerie Uhn
Hauptstrasse 34
61462 Königstein

Exhibition: Joint Venture+ at Candita Clayton Gallery

The little portfolio that could is still going! Our next stop for the traveling exhibition of framed prints from the collection is Candita Clayton Gallery in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Most, if not all, of the boxed portfolio sets have been sold. Thirty-one individual framed prints are still available (one from each artist), and some artists are showing additional work as well.

Group exhibition and winter market

If you're looking to do a little holiday shopping this weekend, why not buy some art? This Friday through Sunday, you can take in a group exhibition of fine art and craft makers, while sipping wine from Philipp's Fine Wine, all in the gorgeous setting of a newly restored flourmill on the Kinzig River in Erlensee.

Three of my Postcards from the Taunus are in the exhibition. I'll be in town for the Opening of She is Herself, so it's nice timing! I plan to stop by this event on Sunday for a few hours before returning to England. Hope to see you there!

FLOUR MILL WINTER MARKET
An der Wasserburg 22 | 63456 Erlensee

Friday, 21 November: 16.00-21.00
Saturday, 22 November: 13.00-20.00
Sunday, 23 November: 13.00-18.00

exhibition: "to be continued | Fortsetzung folgt"

One of the best things about our time living in Germany has been the friends I've made who also happen to be artists. It's with great pleasure that I invite you to join me and three such friends to our first (and we hope, of many) small group exhibition, to be continued | Fortsetzung folgt.

The exhibition at grassgrün opens on Friday, October 24 at 19:00, and runs through Sunday, October 26. We are also taking appointments outside of the gallery hours below - if you can't make it over the weekend, just contact me and let's see what we can work out.

If you can stop by for a visit, I'd love to share the work with you personally. It will also be a chance to say our goodbyes...Ian has already relocated to our new home in England, and movers arrive shortly after this event to move our household, Astro, and me to join him.

Exhibition details and opening hours, below. I hope to see you on the 24th or sometime during the weekend!

Exhibition details:

to be continued | Fortsetzung folgt   October 24 – 26, 2014 | Vernissage: Friday, 24 October at 19:00 | grassgrün, Vogelsbergstrasse 38, 60316 Frankfurt am Main | Tel: 0179/4 57 93 96 | Opening hours: 12:00 to 20:00 Uhr und nach Vereinbarung

studio update: late summer 2014

Kelly O'Brien, Home is Where You Are (detail). Acrylic on paper on canvas. 2014

Here in chilly gray Frankfurt, change is in the air already. Where did summer go? This is our fourth one in Germany, and I'm still not used to August days in the 60s and nights that dip into the 40s.

Which means I've been in the studio, making new work! My current focus is on acrylic painting, with some mixed media sculpture to keep things interesting. It feels like acrylics are opening up a whole new level of freedom. I've only scratched the surface and am eager to see where this goes.

Kelly O'Brien, You Can't Run From Yourself. Acrylic on paper on canvas. 2014

If you're in the Frankfurt area this autumn, you can see the new work in two upcoming exhibitions in October and November. Stateside, I am delighted to have mixed media prints included in The Joint Portfolio Project, with exhibitions at the Providence Art Club and Torpedo Factory in September and November. More on each of these as dates draw nearer.

Kelly O'Brien, Inside Job. Acrylic on paper on canvas. 2014

Speaking of change, the theme I'm exploring is Geographic Cure. My husband and I are moving to England this fall, so the topic has been on my mind. As much as I love living in Germany and will miss the friends I've made here, I look forward to what lies ahead. I'm learning that with a little conscious effort, you can stay connected and involved, wherever you live.

Upcoming exhibitions:

September 7 - October 3, 2014: The Joint Portfolio Project Exhibition, Moitié Gallery, Providence Art Club, Providence, RI

October 24 - 26, 2014: To Be Continued | Fortsetzung folgt, grassgrün, Frankfurt, Germany

November 1 - December 31, 2014: The Joint Portfolio Project Exhibition, Printmakers Inc, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA

November 2014 - January 2015: She is Herself, Frauenartztpraxis Dr. Med. Seelig, Bad Soden, Germany

whistler: an american in london at the freer gallery

James McNeill Whistler, Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Cremorne Lights, 1872; oil on canvas

One of the many things I love about my hometown of Washington, DC is the abundant free access to great art. On a recent trip to the US, my husband and I squeezed in one last exhibition at our favorite Smithsonian gallery, the Freer | Sackler, before heading to the airport.

I didn't expect to be so mesmerized by the work - I mean, it's Whistler, so I knew it would be special - but I didn't anticipate what we saw among the etchings, watercolors and oil paintings in the exhibition.

Whistler, Nocturne Blue and Gold Southampton Water, 1872; oil on canvas

His oil Nocturnes are gorgeous. Scenes along the rainy, dreary, industrial 19th century Thames are transformed into abstract, minimalist, glowing color, highly influenced by Japanese woodcut prints. Fittingly, paintings and woodcuts by Kobayashi Kiyochika are juxtaposed in a separate exhibition on the same floor.

Detail, Sumida River by Night, Kobayashi Kiyochika; Japan, 1881; Woodblock print

Whistler's relationship to the Freer | Sackler was another surprise. Charles Freer met Whistler in 1890 when, on his first trip to London, he visited the artist's Chelsea studio. A long and fruitful friendship ensued, and with Whistler's encouragement and cooperation, Freer built the largest collection of his works in the world. Not bad to have a patron build a museum for your work!

Whistler, Nocturne: Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge, 1875; oil on canvas

An American in London held special significance for my husband and me, as we prepare for a relocation to London this fall. With beauty like this to look forward to, it seems like a good move.

the Joint Portfolio Project

The Joint Portfolio Project

One fun benefit of being a printmaker is that you get to exchange original handmade art with other printmakers. Sometimes, whole groups of printmakers get together to swap prints – a real bonanza! And not only for the artists involved. A small number of complete print sets are sometimes made available to the public (see below).

The Joint Portfolio Project is one such project in which I’m privileged to be involved. A total of 31 artists – 22 artists of the Providence Art Club in Rhode Island and nine artists of the Torpedo Factory Printmakers Inc. in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia – are busy completing 5x7 inch limited edition prints for the collection.

Several exhibitions are scheduled for the project through 2015. A traveling exhibition, Joint Venture+, will showcase the 31 framed portfolio prints, plus additional pieces by each artist.

There will be only 12 print portfolios for sale to the public, some of which have already sold. They are $550, which includes an attractive box to store the 31 signed, hand-pulled prints.

You can find previews of the prints that will be included and more detailed information about exhibitions on The Joint Portfolio Project Facebook Page.

You can reserve a portfolio or purchase one at the pre-publication price of $500 by calling Printmakers Inc. at 703-683-1342 or Providence Art Club at 401-331-1114 ext. 5. Telephone sales are accepted with a credit card.

Quadriennale Düsseldorf

Every four years, Düsseldorf becomes the center of contemporary art in this part of Germany during the Quadriennale Düsseldorf. We caught a small slice of it this week during a short visit to the British Consulate in town for my husband's UK citizenship swearing-in ceremony (yes, I'm now married to a Brit!).

This year's theme is Beyond Tomorrow. What we saw was compelling and provocative: Smart New World at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf. Part performance art, part installation, the two-story exhibition space was transformed into a sensory commentary on digital technology, privacy, the NSA, and Big Data. I knew we were in for something different when we had to sign a declaration affirming our own inauthenticity before we could even purchase an entrance ticket.

Admission Procedure, International Necronautical Society (INS). Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 2014.

The Quadriennale Düsseldorf runs through August 10th, featuring a total of thirteen museums, art venues and partner institutions. Catch it if you can!