Cathryn O'Donnell Gallery

Inspiration Piece: A Good Catch

Artist: William De La Montagne Cary

Medium: acrylic paint

Dimensions: 16 x 20 inches, canvas only

Price: $545

A Good Catch

Cary was my great, great, great grandfather, and I've been wanting to reproduce one of his works in my own style. He was known for oil paintings and sketches based on his journey across the American west, and he clearly had great fondness for the natural splendor of this country. I typically paint vibrant acrylic scenes with animals as the subject. Whereas Cary depicted "a good catch" of fish meant for a meal, I opted to render the composition as a pair of live fish vying for their own meal. If you look closely, there's another good catch in the jaws of the dragonfly. I like to think that, together, my forebear and I have created a story about the circle of life.

I find myself inspired not only by Martinez's style, but his stated mission to "invite reflection on the beautiful, the harmonious, the good vibes of the world." He tends to make mixed media abstracts heavily favoring oil pastels and soft pastels. His palette varies by the image, but is always boldly saturated and often follows an analogous colors scheme, an idea I employed in this piece. I enjoyed playing with the sort of gestural marks he is known for. His titles intrigue me and in them I have found prompts to guide me in future work. I also find spiritual inspiration in nature and memento mori, as represented by these figures in their horned skull masks.

Pagan Priestesses

Inspiration Piece: Pagan Priest

Artist: Mario Ortiz Martinez

Medium: Oil Pastel

Dimensions: 16 x13 inches with frame

Price: $145

Brown is an oil painter known for works that bring an almost frantic energy to each scene. "Girl on a Swing" particularly fascinates me as a piece that both looks head-on at the subject, but also makes you feel like you're the one swinging up to view the the tops of the trees. I wanted to capture that duality in the scene of a peaceful forest brook, with gestural rocks, trees, and water all converging in one reflective pool. The chaos draws your eye into the center and acts as a meditative focal point. The matting and hand-painted frame are very much part of the experience.

Inspiration Piece: Girl on a Swing

Artist: Cecily Brown

Medium: Oil Pastel

Dimensions: 11 x 13 with frame

Price $75

Sanctum