Conor O'Brien

Artist's Statement

I paint mostly about northern Alabama and southern Tennessee, USA. Occasionally, when traveling, I paint about other places.

Most of my paintings are done on prepared panels, and I sometimes paint on prepared linen canvas. I apply textures to the surface of the panels and canvases to give an interesting ground over which to paint. My paintings range in size from just a few inches to as much as 48". I often use a wide format, making the horizontal dimension several times as much as the vertical.

I use a limited palette which consists of a warm and cool version of each of the three primary colors, plus white and two or three earth colors.

It's a little difficult to say why I paint about a particular place. For me, the aesthetic considerations when experiencing a location involve more than any "traditional" sense of beauty. The abstract shapes of the land and the angles formed by perspective and their juxtaposition to one another interest me. And, there is often some other element about the scene that draws me to it which I can't explain. To me, there is beauty and interest in every place and thing.

My work has been shown in various regional museums of art, galleries, and is in a number of private collections, around the USA. I hope you enjoy viewing the paintings on this website as much as I enjoy painting them.