NEW EXPERIENCES AT AN ART SHOW WITH SARA O’CONNER (LAPC 03-26-2023)

 

Hello Readers,

This week’s photo challenge is hosted by Anne (here) with the theme of New Experiences. In Fall of 2022, artist Sara O’Conner (here) featured a one-night art exhibit, which had stations that allowed people a “sensory” experience. Sara also had an exhibit this spring at the Glen Allen Arts Center. I am going to make a short video about the events (eventually), and today I decided to share a handful of photos because both shows provided a fun experience. 

Sara O’Conner creates art from dried acrylic paint. She makes dots and then uses them in different ways. Her flowers (her version of pointillism) were the main part of the sensory show in Fall 2022.  

Sara makes small flowers to sell as show takeaways, or to sometimes use as incentives for selling her art.  This pink one (lower left) is one that we bought for Grandma Nancy. It is much smaller than it looks in the photo.

This next floral piece (from Sara’s spring 2023 show) was one that we also bought for Grandma Nancy – well sort of! It is quite a fun story.  This lady said she wanted to buy it (seriously, within minutes of our purchase) and then after we all talked for a while – we decided to let her buy it (it was quite the conversation and reminded me about how art connects us). So we are going to get Grandma Nancy a different piece later this year (and let her pick it out from Sara’s online collection – because she might not have even liked the piece that we picked out – which is (one of the reasons) why I let the other lady buy it). 

This was the popular piece at the art show in February 2023. It led to meeting people and talking about what we liked in art. I do not think the photo does accurately depicts this piece. Sometimes photos make paintings look very different (sometimes better and sometimes just different). In person, the flowers in this piece fall more into the “white” family more. In the photo, it looks like we have gold, taupe, etc. – but in person – the piece seems like a huge palette for “whites”- and that is important because it is why we thought of Grandma Nancy. You see, back in the 1990s, Nancy was the first person to really teach us about how “not all whites are created equal” – and how some whites have rose undertones, blue casts, tannish hues, pure whites – etc. This piece also had a unique energy compared to all of the other ones that day, which is what the lady and I noted. Anyhow, the lady that did buy this piece was a lot of fun and we exchanged info. So when I make my video (later this year) I will share more about our fun connecting over this rolled-acrylic floral piece.

Sara creates more than just flowers with her acrylic paint. She also uses the circles to make line designs and wonderful shapes (Gestalt principles in action).

Here is Sara O’Conner in Fall 2022.

Here is Sara O’Conner in Spring 2023 at the Glen Allen Art Show

Side note – below is a screen shot (from a video snippet) of Lauren Hall, the art curator at the Glen Allen Cultural Art Center, who helped to make both shows happen!  I will be featuring Lauren in an interview later this year. 

 The Fall 2022 Sensory Art Show from Sara O’Conner had different stations set up around the perimeter of the room. The stations had her vibrant art, scented items, snacks, and music. Sara commissioned a musician to make custom songs for her sensory experience interactive.

There were also signs that explained some of the background behind the show and stations – here is a snippet of a sign:

The abstract in this station was called New Orleans and it was made from leftover scraps. Tierney and I were recently talking about the many ways that artists use their scraps because Tierney will be using some of her fabric scraps to give to students when she teaches a quilting workshop later this year. And I shared how one of my students, Jonathan Bottoms, used scraps from my art bins to make a “foil relief” and he took first place at The Mariner’s Art Museum art show more than 10 years ago. Anyhow, the topic of SCRAPS is a fun one to chat about with diverse artists. 

Detail of Sara O’Conner’s New Orleans abstract art, which was made from scrap pieces of paint.

In the middle of the room, during the 2022 Sensory Art Show, there was a large interactive. 

The circles were made from drips of acrylic paint

a heart for Renee….

 Above shows the salt water taffy near the floral art with an ocean theme. 

It was quite an experience at each station and the artist, Sara O’Conner was so pleasant to chat with.

Thanks for joining me today and I will be sure to let you all know when I make my short video about this experience. 

Click here for general information about the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge

REMINDERS

• Next weekend, the Priorhouse Interview series will feature author Sherri Matthews – many of you might remember Sherri from her blogging days (she stopped around 2015). 
• The #Dickenschallenge runs until June 9th… Inviting you to read ONE novella (or more novellas) and then chat with us in June (info here) (hosts are Trent, Marsha, and Yvette)

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