Ellen O'Neill
I paint because of the joy it brings to my life. I have returned to this lifelong interest and passion in art after raising a family and a thirty-eight year teaching career. Having spent summer and winter vacations in Maine most of my young and all of my adult life, I have been inspired by its beauty in all seasons. Now retired, I am able to spend more time in Bridgton and traveling about painting landscapes, the lakes, mountains, and fields of Maine, as well as still life.
I particularly enjoy painting en plein air. Traveling with a wonderful group of artist friends, we explore and share great painting spots where we can paint for hours on a given afternoon. The ever changing light and atmosphere dramatically affecting the colors and even the mood of a scene provides the challenge I have in trying to convey to those who view my paintings what I felt, what drew me to the site, and what I wanted to share. Hopefully, through my painting, they will see and feel the essence of my day’s experience of painting – the mood, the light, the color, and my inspiration.
Art Study:
Studio art courses in drawing, guilding, portraiture, printmaking, as well as acrylic, watercolor, pastel and oil painting at:
Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA
The Eliot Street School, Jamaica Plain, MA
Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, Lexington, MA
Studied under:
Diane Levine
Murad Sayen
Barbara Traficonte
Catherine Zimmerman
Memberships:
Bridgton Art Guild, Bridgton, ME - Member
Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, Lexington, MA - Member
Western Maine Art Group, Norway, ME - Member
Western Maine Art Group, Norway, Maine- Board of Directors
Exhibits and Shows:
Gallery 302, Bridgton, ME
Painted Mermaid Art Gallery, South Paris, ME
Western Maine Art Group, Matolscy Art Center Art Gallery, Norway, ME
McLaughlin Gardens, South Paris, ME
Norway Public Library
Stevens Memorial Hospital, Norway, ME
Annual Show Participant at:
Norway Sidewalk Art Show, Norway, ME
Bridgton Art Guild, “Art in the Park”, Bridgton, ME
Awards:
“Fleeting Light”, Oil on Board
Best of Show, 2008 Norway Sidewalk Art Show, Norway, ME
Second Place, 2008 “Art in the Park”, Bridgton Art Guild, Bridgton, ME
“Fryeburg Farmer”, Oil on Board
Honorable Mention, 2008 Western Maine Art Group Juried Art Show, Norway, ME
“Bartletts”, Oil on Canvas
Honorable Mention, 2008 Western Maine Art Group Juried Art Show, Norway, ME