Marian L. O'Connell      Artist, Printmaker

News - Spring 2010

Spring has arrived and like the daffodils and forsythia in my garden I’m ready for warmer weather. It has been quite a winter in Rhode Island with lots of snow and most recently the floods. Time spent in my studio this winter has been rather limited as in November I fell and chipped a bone in my left knee and was on crutches for six weeks. Two days after getting off the crutches I turned directions printing at my press and broke the same bone in my foot for the third time. Boot cast again with no driving as this was my right foot. Luckily 9 weeks had passed and with a soft cast on my foot, my husband, one daughter and I went to Egypt. Thinking all the bad was past, I managed to get salmonella food poisoning and although the Doctor that came to the hotel room gave me antibiotics that helped to get me home, I needed stronger pills to knock it out. I spent four days at home with 102 degree fever before it broke.

In spite of the injuries I’m happy to say I’ve been back working hard in my studio and just finished “Full Cycle” a book with 16 etchings for my solo show at the Newport Art Museum next January. I also finished “Onion Dome” a book with 11 etchings with 22k gold leaf wherever gold leaf was on the domes. Learning to guild was a challenge and an expensive learning process but the results are worth the effort. I am holding back most of my new etchings for the solo show, but eventually individual etchings from the pages will be available.

(click on image to see larger)

The Egypt trip in February completed a life long desire to visit the pyramids. The hieroglyphics, art work, and architecture for me as an artist has my head digesting the 1,500 pictures I took, knowing that eventually I will incorporate it into my art. I will never forget going down a steep slopping entrance to one of the tombs at the Valley of the Kings and entering a large room with the ceiling in cobalt blue, my favorite color, with white star fish all over the ceiling. I could have stayed there forever it was so beautiful. Oh yes, if you are wondering, I did ride a camel at the Great Pyramid at Giza.

I had a one man show in February at East Greenwich Art Gallery, Rhode Island. I won third place in Hollis New Hampshire Outdoor Show last fall. A monoprint “Dandelion” will be on exhibit in thINK, a Boston Printmakers Members’ Exhibit that will travel to different venues over the next few years. For more information on the thINK Exhibit check for posting on the Boston Printmaker website.

Thanks for visiting my web site and I would love to hear your comments.

~~ Marian

© 2010, Marian L. O’Connell, all rights reserved

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