From Grandmother to Granddaughter–A Piece of the Past

Tchotchke SeriesStill Life Painting
Written By Christine O'Brien

I have a passion for depicting formerly or currently owned collectibles in a still life series I call the "Tchotchke Series". When representing these current or previously valued keepsakes, I create compositions to capture unique nuances in staged narratives. Click here to learn more about my “Tchotchke Series”.

One such story became the inspiration for "Grandma's Vase," oil on canvas, 28 x 28 inches. This cast iron Victorian shoe vase sits on a family room shelf at one of my dearest friend's home. To my delight, neatly hidden within the shoe, was a handwritten letter from Grandmother to Granddaughter. Endearing scripted words that memorialize a special occasion in the vase's history. These days, it is so rare to receive handwritten notes, much less, letters. So, I replicated Grandma's unique handwriting and sentimental words as a background vignette. The elegant dance of her message merges with roses and the vase, highlighting both the love of gifting and treasured family relationships. In essence, Grandma's 1950's garden club memoir and vase have now become a forever artistic legacy of generational love.

grandmas-vase-70px.jpg

My Dearest Granddaughter,

You wanted a little piece of my past. Enclosed is a shoe that I bought in 1956. I used it when I entered a flower show for my garden club. The theme was from sea to land. I interpreted it as a landing in a new land. I had 12 white flowers and one red rose for the 13 colonies. It took 3rd place.

Love Your

Grandma

Christine O'Brien

Christine’s proclivity to draw began at age five after helping her artistic mother render portraits of her siblings. She received a scholarship to study fine art at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she completed a rigorous program of classical instruction. During her junior year, Christine was selected as the sole recipient for an independent study in advanced experimental drawing and painting with Gardiner McCauley, head of the art college. Her final project, a five-foot square mixed media portrait was installed in the college reception area and published in the curriculum catalog. After graduating, Christine worked in her hometown of Chicago as a graphic designer and illustrator. Recruited to a large photography turnkey operation as a creative director and sales representative, she thrived in a career of both art and marketing. Christine moved west in the early 90’s, where she studied acrylic and oil painting at UCLA. Her affinity to paint the figure blossomed into a career as a portraiture artist. In recent years, she has drawn from both her imagination and surroundings to create imagery that combines her traditional training with a modern edge. These works include lone figures amid simplified landscapes, and enlarged depictions of secondhand collectables. She describes her work as scenes that capture a mood of beauty and contemplation. Christine lives and works in the Denver area and is collected throughout the US and abroad.

http://www.christineobrien.com
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