The Rickie Report met Lois O’Brien when one of her paintings was accepted at Art at the Airport. Lois’ art work is fascinating and absorbing. Her husband, Jerry, is a marvelous wood turner. This the first time they will be exhibiting together! We hope you’ll stop by the annual Craft Show in North Palm Beach to meet them and see their wonderful artistry! More details are in this article.
Annual North Palm Beach
Arts & Crafts Fall Festival
Saturday, November 2nd
NPB Community Center
1200 Prosperity Farms Road
9:00-4:00
Lois and Jerry O’Brien
“Art from the Heart”:
Expressions on
Canvas & Turned Wood
#22 Inside
Lois and Jerry O’Brien are exhibiting their creative work together for the first time at the North Palm Beach Annual Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday, November 2nd from 9 am – 4 pm. The event takes place at the North Palm Beach Community Center located at 1200 Prosperity Farms Road, North Palm Beach. The O’Brien’s will display and sell their “Art From the Heart: Expressions on Canvas & Turned Wood”.
“Reflection” by Lois O’Brien
Lois H. O’Brien was born in a small Virginia town, moved to FL and was raised by an older sister at a young age. She graduated High school in Miami, attended University of Florida, Gainesville and Barry University in Miami. Lois has been a resident of Palm Beach County for over 30 years. Her business career included General Insurance, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, and Executive Assistant to Owner/President of Permatex an International manufacturing company for sixteen years. Lois also served as the Business Manager for Graham Ekes a private school in Palm Beach. She started Claws & Paws, Inc. a pet sitting business, has successfully serviced the needs of pet owners for over four years.
“Family and Country” by Lois O’Brien
Lois enjoyed many diverse interests including boating, fishing and decorating while having a career. She tells The Rickie Report, “I wanted to explore other avenues. I enrolled in a ‘Creative’ art class at the Armory Art Center in January 2010, wondering if there could be a ‘hidden’ talent waiting to be released, as I had never painted before. The art instructor was able to encourage my creative spirit and give guidance in expression. The first painting was the start of many more abstract creations. People still ask, ‘What is it’? and my answer is always ‘whatever you want it to be’. “
“Life Journey” by Lois O’Brien
Lois displayed a small collection of paintings in Georgia at the White County Library in 2010 and continues to take classes at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach. She entered a painting in their Student Art Exhibitions.
“Shaman Dream” by Lois O’Brien
Lois also participated in the Armory Art Center’s “50 Artists/50 Bucks”, September 2012 and again in 2013. Each of the 50 chosen artists is furnished a blank canvas, supplies all other materials, and creates an original artwork in two hours, with the public-viewing artists as they paint. Completed works are then offered in live auction with starting bid of $50.00.
Lois says, “My ‘art studio’ is a recently enclosed loggia at the rear of our residence, where I paint and display my art creations. Palm Beach County International Airport allows artists to submit a work every four months for an Art in Public Space display. I was accepted to this juried exhibit from June 20th to October 27, 2012, and again from October, 2012 to February 27, 2013. Over 100 artists submitted works, only twenty were chosen.”
Jerry O’Brien moved to Florida with his family when he was a young boy. He attended Forest Hill High School and then served in the U.S. military. Jerry retired after 30 years after working for Bellsouth. His main hobbies were boating and fishing. Along with being an avid outdoorsman, Jerry had worked with wood as a hobby since childhood. His dad got him started at a young age and woodworking has been one of Jerry’s “outlets” ever since.
Jerry tells The Rickie Report, “I turned my first pieces on a lathe in Junior high school but didn’t continue turning. My woodturning restarted 4 years ago after visiting a North Georgia mountain craft festival/art show. The bug bit me! When we returned to Florida for the winter, I joined Palm Beach Wood Turners. I have received instruction, guidance and support from experienced club members.”
Wood Turned Vessels by Jerry O’Brien
“Over the last four years I’ve attended many woodturning seminars in various states and had the privilege to learn from the best of the best from around the country as well as international professionals. In my short career as a wood turner I’ve turned a variety of items including bowls, platters and hollow forms, pens, scoops, tops, bottle stoppers and objects d’art,” Jerry shares.
Jerry uses many different woods, including tropical woods such as mahogany and rosewood. Local fruitwoods including orange, grapefruit and mango are also frequent candidates for his lathe. One of the most attractive woods that are abundant here in south Florida is Norfolk Island pine. After it has “spalted” (weathered outside), it exhibits shades of gray, silver blue and cream when turned on the lathe. Vacationing in Georgia allows Jerry to turn the hardwoods of the more northern climbs. Cherry, hickory, pecan, several of the maples make for a wonderful change of pace on the lathe.
Turned Pens by Jerry O’Brien
“Segmenting is the latest skill set I’m learning. Using this technique in partnership with different woods allows the craftsman unlimited variety and patterns. These pieces are constructed by gluing individual pieces of wood together into a general shape and mounting them on the lathe where they are turned to the final shape. Challenging and beautiful, segmented bowls and other vessels are a true delight. As in all turned wood vessels each is one of a kind and supplies the owner with a unique sense of pride”, Jerry explains.
Segmented Bowl by Jerry O’Brien
Jerry tells everyone, “Feel free to handle anything on display after all…. trees are one of God’s works that are meant to be touched! If you have any questions please come up and talk to me – just be forewarned that when I start talking about woodturning or fishing/boating sometimes it’s hard for me to stop!”
For more information about Lois’ or Jerry’s artwork, please email: ClawsPaws1@aol.com For more information about the Arts & Craft Show, please call 841-3386 recreation@village-npb.org
For coverage of your events, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact The Rickie Report at:
Rickie Leiter, Publisher
The Rickie Report
P.O.Box 33423
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420
561-537-0291
