I’ve had the opportunity to travel, attend art shows and share a beer with a few artists I respect but never have I felt a visceral attachment to an artist until I met Casey.
Looking at her paintings, I am both vulnerable and hopeful. Her work is colorful, feminine and romantic yet somehow triggers something unnerving inside me.
great expectations
prom 97'
by corine michel
Interview with Casey O’Connell:
When did you discover painting was you favorite medium?
I wasn’t really introduced to paint until my second year of college. I had an assignment to paint many different shades of gray, in between silently cursing my teacher and painting, I fell in love.
Did you paint when you were a child?
Yes. If it was sunny, I was in the ocean but when it was raining, I was painting the ocean.
Do you remember what some of those looked like (if any)?
They were all pretty cheesy…think super 8 motel art, but with a lot more hot pink.
Do you use your art to chart your life, in other words, do most of your pieces have significance to you personally or are they just streams of consciousness?
My work revolves around my day-to-day existence. It’s truly a visual journal of the moments that feel significant to me.
You had a show recently, when and where was it?
My last show was last fall at Google.
How many shows have you done? Do they get easier?
I’m not sure how many shows I’ve done. No, they’ve yet to get easier. I’ve had numerous panic attacks before attending openings and drinking champagne doesn’t help.
When you are not painting, what do you do?
I like to be in the water…oceans, lakes, rivers, bathtubs, anywhere I can float. I also really enjoy naps.
What other art forms do you appreciate?
Fashion, I heart Balmain. Food, I really heart my boyfriend’s macaroni and cheese.
Titles as “the enabler”, “the things we carry”, “great expectations” in sense have a vulnerable insecure side to it but you’re in a happy stable relationship, can you expound?
I’ve found the only way to find true happiness is to really explore my insecurities. By looking at the things I fear I can find a balance that is real, and not just some Hollywood ending.
Do you work in complete silence or listen to music while you work? If so, what kind of music do you listen to?
I’ve recently moved to Savannah GA. I’m enjoying the crickets.
the things we carry
Where did you study?
I attended Flagler College in St Augustine Florida.
Are you inspired by your youth or by your adult life, by the lives of others?
For a long time the inner 12 year old played the biggest role, but lately there’s been a fundamental shift, it probably has to do with turning 30.
When did you start incorporating camouflage/ blending backgrounds to your subjects in your painting? What is its’ appeal to you?
That is a hard question for me to answer. Again, it could be the process of growing up and being a more confident person. Before I felt I had to spell everything out, explain every detail, I was terrified of being misread. Now I try to trust myself more.
What are your favorite colors or palettes?
Yellow is pretty fantastic.
What are the next events coming up for you that you are excited about?
Is it too early be excited for Halloween? I love me some candy corn pumpkins.
What is your fundamental goal of your artwork?
It’s to explore.
Who inspires you?
Howard Roark
Where can someone purchase your work?
caseyoconnell.com
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