Tina O’Brien’s “Ventura by the Sea” solo show at the Harbor Village Gallery runs from June 18 to July 20, 2009. Artist Reception is Friday, June 19, 2009 from 5 – 8pm.
O’Brien “hangs ten” and then paddles out to the next set with the best of ‘em. This local surf girl rides her waves right onto her canvas. The surreal feeling when human experience connects with the energy of the ocean is hard put into words, so O’Brien turns epic waves into peaceful visuals. They carry an aura of paradise, a place beyond reach, but alas we are here in Ventura, a place O’Brien calls home.
Images of a familiar walk way lined in stoic palms and miles of dreamy blue and green oceans are found in her most recent collection. O’Brien’s traditional realist style, interpret surfers as poetry in motion and her paintings as poetic realism. Her sonnets are romantic views of islands in the distance, floral arrangements in a window sill and fresh spring fields, ballads of wistful and simple times.
O’Brien started a career in painting portraits of people, gardens and houses about 20 years ago, she took a portrait classes at the California Art Institute of Calabasas and received a Certificate of Commercial Art from Ventura College in 1988. Recent accolades are successful weekends in her artist booth at the “C” Street Long Board Classic and Aloha Beach Festival as well as the Ojai Music and Art in the Park. With a family of two teenagers and a husband, all who share with her the love of surfing; many weekends are spent at the beach collecting new images and ideas for her paintings. Whether she has her toes in the sand or is catching a wave or two, the beauty and natural surroundings of a day by the sea in Ventura is what O’Brien shares with you from her poetic pallet.
This is O’Brien’s first solo exhibition with Buenaventura Art Association.
The Harbor Village Gallery is located at 1591 Spinnaker Dr. Suite 117C in the Ventura Harbor Village. Open everyday except Tuesday from 11 to 6 pm. For more information, call the gallery at 805-644-2750 or visit their either website at www.harborvillagegallery.com or www.buenaventuragallery.org