Karen O’Neil is an artist and instructor in New York that works with oil to capture a variety of seemingly mundane subjects, such as an orange slice. O’Neil’s range of work includes paintings of different fruits, vegetables, flowers, and items such as tea-cups.

In Orange Series # 11, O’Neil solidifies her love for still life by depicting an orange slice on a small glass plate. O’Neil’s use of hues of orange, blue, and purple demonstrate her mastery in manifesting light without using an overwhelming amount of white. I found this piece, in particular, a good model for the way I should be developing my own value assignment (which involves placing color in a mainly white subject). This piece inspires me to not be afraid to exit my comfort zone by seeing and emulating color in predominately white subjects.

Karen O’Neil, Orange Series # 11

Likewise, in February 14 #2, O’Neil’s attention to the subtle colorful hues found in a simple white flower (perhaps a white rose) create life in this otherwise flat piece. Her use of purple, yellow, orange, and even green color to capture the way light is received on the flower shows an understanding and mastery of developing light. Similar to the first project I am working on, this piece focuses on demonstrating that color can be found even on the blankest (in this case, white) of subjects.

Karen O’Neil, February 14 #2

I hope to be able to show as much fearlessness with color that Karen O’Neil shows in these still-lifes in my piece that requires paying close attention to subtle hints of color created by light. Overall, I find O’Neil’s work to be a testament to one of the ways that oil paint can capture the life of a subject through simple (even fuzzy) lines; her work has re-en kindled the love I share for oil paint.