Profile - Jo O'Brien
My name is Jo O'Brien (Mosely), I am a self taught realism artist living in Kingaroy, Queensland. The month of May this year marks the eleventh anniversary of me buying my first art canvas, as I deciding to try my hand at painting. Much to my surprise and the surprise of others, on that first canvas appeared a beautiful portrait of my dad, his brother and a green Holden that was looking a bit worse for wear!!
And so began my love of painting with my next painting that won me my first award and gracing the cover of the Artist’s Palette Magazine.
I have since been fortunate enough to receive many awards for my paintings over the years and to see two of my paintings off to their new home with an art collector in Switzerland. In 2012 I was selected to represent Australia with a commission for a Children’s book. The commission was for a portrait of a child, by an American publishing company. That book was released early 2013. I was selected as a finalist in the Mortimore Prize awards 2012, with ‘Noah’s iPod’, and in 2013 was also been given that honor with my painting ‘Reflection’.
I worked predominately in Oil paints, and have tried other painting mediums, Although Oil still remains my favorite and predominate medium to work with.
Awards and exhibitions
2006- Heritage Art Exhibition
Second prize, people’s choice
2006- Murgon Art Festival
Commended
2006- A Brush .. With the Beauty of Wood and Wine
An exhibition of my prints
2007- Combined exhibition at Wondai art gallery in February.
2007- Nanart
First prize, highly commended-‘Traditional Oil’
Second prize- ‘Open any subject/any medium’
2007- Front cover and feature in Artist palette Magazine
2007- Woodford Art Awards
First prize ‘Open oils’,
Second in ‘people’s choice’
2008- Combined exhibition at Wondai art gallery in February
2008- Nanart
Highly commended- ‘Tradition oil’,
Highly commended- ‘Open any subject/any medium’
2008- Murgon Art festival
Commended
2010 Colour me blue exhibition- First prize- Open medium
2011- Bell Show and art exhibition
First prize- Still life,
Second prize – Wildlife,
Dalby’s choice award,
Reserve Champion,
People’s choice award
2011- First solo art exhibition at Kingaroy regional council art gallery in May
2011 – Nanart
First- ‘open any subject/any medium’
‘People Choice award’
2011- Moore park beach art festival
First- ‘Still life pastel’ section
First- ‘portrait’ section
2011- Wondai acquisitive exhibition
First – ‘pastels’ section
Highly commented- ‘Oil’ section
‘Viewers choice award’
2011- Wondai Art Awards
Second- ‘pastels’ section
2011- Woodford Art awards
Second- ‘Mixed media’ section
2012- Bell art awards
First- ‘portrait’ section’,
First- ‘Wildlife’ section,
First ‘Animal study’ section.
Second- ‘Pastel’ section.
‘People choice award’ Portrait
2012- Feature and front cover of the Australian Artist’s palette magazine
2012- Exhibition- blackbutt regional council gallery
2012- Finalist in the Mortimore Art prize,
Figurative section
2012- Wondai Art Awards
Second- ‘Oils’ section
Commended- ‘Wild life’ section
‘Peoples choice award’
2013- Brisbane Valley Heritage Trails art awards and exhibition
Highly commended- ‘Portrait’ section
Commended- ‘still life’ section
Commended- ‘Wildlife’ section
‘Packing room prize’
2013- Bell art awards
Second- ‘small painting’ section
Second- ‘Animal study’
‘Peoples choice award’ (Portrait ‘Matty’)
2013- Finalist in the Mortimore Art prize,
Figurative section
2013- Wondai Art Awards
First - ‘Oils/acrylic section
‘Peoples choice award’
2014- Bell art Exhibition
Grand Champion
2015- Small solo exhibition at the Wondai Art Gallery