Artist Profile

Cecily O'Connor

San Rafael, CA

I am very attracted to certain drawn or etched lines and their capacity to evoke an emotional response on their own aside from defining an image in an artistic work. I also am keenly aware of the surfaces I encounter in my surroundings - lines and cracks in walls, sidewalks, old paint surfaces and am attracted to the qualities of paint itself and what can be done with it. Combining pencil and other marking tools and paint allows me to use both drawing and painting in my work. I like the feel of moving a pencil or etching tool on a surface. Some of my work is subtle, but I hope it draws one in to examine what’s there. I have a spontaneous approach to creating my artworks and allow things to happen as they will . Sometimes they are representational and sometimes abstract and sometimes both together. Nonspecific bird imagery occurs occasionally perhaps with a symbolic intent. By manipulating the surface in various ways and using line and paint, I hope to create works that are expressive and evocative, and that on occasion recall an ancient or archaeological sense.

Cecily O'Connor

Artist

415-497-9793

cesrob@yahoo.com


EDUCATION:

B.A. Sonoma State University (Painting and Drawing)
Studied Under Jay DeFeo
A.A. College of Marin, Kentfield CA (Art - Painting and Drawing)
A.A. College of Marin, Kentfield CA (Liberal Arts)


GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2022 Las Laguna Art Gallery "Women Artists 2022"
2022 Marin MOCA "What Is Art For"
2021 Artworks Downtown Christmas Member Show
2021 The Quest
2021 Graton Gallery Annual Juried Small Works Show
2021 Marin MOCA "Here and Now"
2020 Artworks Downtown Small Works
2020 Marin Community Foundation, Curated Group Show cont.
2019 Artworks Downtown Member Show
2019 Marin Community Foundation, Curated Group Show
2019 Marin MOCA, “Open to Interpretation”
2018 Marin Civic Center, Group Show
2017 Artworks Downtown, Christmas Member Show
2017 Richmond Art Center, Group Show
2017 Marin MOCA, "Hidden"
2016 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art “Layers”
2016 Artworks Downtown, Christmas Member Exhibition
2015 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art “Secrets”
2015 Artworks Downtown, “Fire and Water”
2015 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, “Collaboration”
2015 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, “Metamorpho
2014 Marin MOCA, "Rising Tides/Shifting Boundaries"
2014 Marin MOCA, "Motion/Emotion"
2013 Bay Model "Big is Beautiful", Sausalito CA
2013 Rileystreet San Rafael
2013 Falkirk Spring Annual
2013 Upstream People Gallery -
15th Annual All Media Juried Online Int'l Art Exhibition
2012 Falkirk Silent Auction
2012 Falkirk Fall Annual
2012 14th Annual Faces Juried Online Int'l Art Exhibition
2011 Artworks Downtown Small Works Exhibit
2011 Marin County Civic Center (non juried)
2010 Artisans Art Gallery
2010 Marin County Civic Center (non juried)
2009 Marin County Civic Center (non juried)
2008 Marin County Civic Center (non juried)
Marin County Fair (4 yearly events 1980s and 1990s)
Marin Society of Artists (3 events 1980s and 1990s)
1984 Falkirk Annual
1982 Sonoma State University Gallery
1982 San Francisco Art Festival
1981 Sonoma State University Gallery
1981 Sonoma State University Gallery
1979 International Year of the Child (traveling exhibition)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2013 Community Media Center of Marin
2013 E Street Open Studio

AWARDS:

Marin MOCA:
"What Is Art For"
Second Place
Marin MOCA
"Rising Tides - Shifting Boundaries"
Second Place
Marin County Fair:
1 Best in Class
2 Honorable Mentions
Marin County Fair:
2 Merit Awards
Marin Society of Artists:
Northern California Open Annual 2nd Place
1 Merit Award
Falkirk Annual:
1 Honorable Mention
Artisans Art Gallery:
1 Notable Mention
14th Annual Faces Juried Online Int'l Exhibition:
Special Recognition
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, "Motion/Emotion"
Honorable Mention

COLLECTIONS:

Several private collections