Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit by Lyme Art Association (2009)

Posted on March 31, 2009 by John O'Keefe Jr.

The jury accepted three of my paintings into the Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit by Lyme Art Association.

Opening Reception (3-6-2009) – Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit

The opening reception was held on March 6, 2009, between 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. This time, my wife, Jennifer, my two children, Joshua and Danielle, and my mother, Lynn Ambrosini, attended the reception with me. Thus it was a family night out.

Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit, Lilac Pond by John O'Keefe Jr — *“Lilac Pond”* by John O’Keefe Jr.

Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit, Opening Reception — John O’Keefe Jr. and *‘Lilac Pond’*

Later, I took some pictures from the reception, and as expected, there was quite a crowd at a Lyme Art Gallery event. In addition to talking with several other artists participating in the exhibition, I introduced myself to Diane Aeschliman. Diane is one of the elected Lyme Gallery artists. Jennifer and I liked one of the landscape paintings by Diane that was in the exhibit.

Concluding Thoughts

The Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit by Lyme Art Association was another excellent exhibition. Also, I am thankful my family enjoys attending these art exhibitions with me; they become excellent family outings.

About the Judges – Spring Painting and Sculpture Exhibit

Del-Bourree Bach publicity photograph — **Del-Bourree Bach**

Del [-Bourree Bach] is a signature member of many professional arts organizations, including the American Society of Marine Artists, Artists for Conservation, Society of Animal Artists, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, American Artists Professional League (Fellow), Allied Artists of America, Audubon Artists, The Copley Society of Boston, Providence Art Club and the Salmagundi Club of New York… He is one of nine artists nationwide to be named to the PaintAmerica Masters Circle… 1, 2

Terry Oakes Bourret publicity photograph — **Terry Oakes Bourret**

[Terry Oakes Bourret] is an elected member of various art associations, including the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club (NYC), New Haven Paint & Clay Club, Lyme Art Association, Connecticut Women Artists, Clinton Art Society, and Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society. This Fall, she will be featured in the anthology “100 Artists Of New England” compiled by prominent author E. Ashley Rooney… 3

Catherine Elliott publicity photograph — **Catherine Elliott**

Catherine M. Elliott is a contemporary artist whose work evocates the American Impressionism painting style. “My paintings are primarily of atmospheric and light conditions portraying the subject’s quality. I try to capture the true grace and elegance of the remaining countryside of New England… 4, 5

Kim Muller-Thym publicity photograph — **Kim Muller-Thym**

An impressionist oil painter living and painting along the New England coast, Kim Muller-Thym is drawn to shoreline scenes significantly as they are affected by weather, time of day, and seasons. Being a farm girl, she also loves the countryside, sheep, and barns… 6

Footnotes:

Image of Del Del-Bourree Bach from the Salmagundian Blog ~ April 2013
Bio “snippet” for Del Del-Bourree Bach from www.natureartists.com ~ April 2014
Image and Bio “snippet” for Terry Oakes Bourret from www.artmajeur.com ~ 2014
Image of Catherine Elliott from www.ct.com ~ 2014
Bio “snippet” for Catherine Elliott from www.catherinemelliott.com ~ 2014
Image and Bio “snippet” for Kim Muller-Thym from www.kimmuller-thym.com ~ 2014

17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit by Lyme Art Association (2009)

Posted on February 28, 2009 by John O'Keefe Jr.

17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit by Lyme Art Gallery — Lyme Art Gallery
Old Lyme, Connecticut

Things keep getting better for me with my art. For example, I was selected to be a featured artist for the 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit by Lyme Art Association. WOW!!! (You can read the press release.)

The 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit was held on January 16, 2009, at the Lyme Art Gallery from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. I was privileged to have four of my paintings accepted into the exhibition, which will run from January 16 through February 28.

Event Literature – 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit

17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit brochure front — **Front** View of **Event Brochure**

17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit brochure back — **Back** View of **Event Brochure**

Opening Reception (1-16-2008) – 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit

A lovely group of patrons attended the reception, in addition to plenty of food and drinks on the serving table. Also, my father, John O’Keefe Sr, and youngest brother Joe O’Keefe, attended the reception along with my wife, Jennifer, and our two children. Overall, we had a good time meeting people and viewing the exhibit. Additionally, I introduced myself to one of the elected artists, Richard Nazzaro. I had seen Mr. Nazzaro at other Lyme Gallery events, but I never had the opportunity to meet and introduce myself to him.

Lyme Art Gallery - Cooper Ferry Gallery — **Cooper-Ferry Gallery**

I had a chance to meet the Lyme Gallery Sales Manager Joy Hanes. She gave me some wonderful compliments about my paintings and said she is particularly fond of my latest work titled “Big Cork Tree.”

Lyme Art Gallery, Cooper Ferry Gallery, John O'Keefe Jr and Joy Hanes — John O’Keefe Jr. & Joy Hanes
(Gallery Sales Manager)

Lyme Art Gallery - Cooper Ferry Gallery, John O'Keefe Jr 'Big Cork Tree' and 'Summer in the Valley' — *“Big Cork Tree”*
and
*“Summer in the Valley”*
by John O’Keefe Jr.

Lyme Art Gallery - Cooper Ferry Gallery, John O'Keefe Jr with 'Big Cork Tree' and 'Summer in the Valley'

Lyme Art Gallery - Cole Gallery — **Cole Gallery**

Lyme Art Gallery - Cole Gallery, Joe O'Keefe, John O'Keefe, and John O'Keefe Sr. — Joe O’Keefe, John O’Keefe Jr.,
and John O’Keefe Sr.

Lyme Art Gallery - Cole Gallery, John O'Keefe Jr 'Prairie Storm' — ***“Prairie Storm”*** **by John O’Keefe Jr.**

Lyme Art Gallery - Cole Gallery, John O'Keefe Jr 'Moment of Reflection' — ***“Moment of Reflection”*** **by John O’Keefe Jr.**

Reconnecting with Dianne Gorrick – Opening Reception

Before the evening ended, I was pleasantly surprised to meet Dianne Gorrick and her husband at the opening. Dianne was the juror for the first art competition I entered as an emerging artist. (2008 Annual Visual Arts Exhibit by The Cheshire Art League.) Dianne remembered me and my two paintings from that competition. Dianne and I are both associate artists with the Lyme Art Association, and we each had several pieces accepted into the exhibit. We walked around showing our paintings to each other while discussing various painting techniques. Dianne shared some tips for achieving smooth lines on tree branches, which I’m working to improve in my newer paintings. Dianne had high compliments on my color pallet. It was very encouraging to talk with Dianne again and participate in the 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibit by Lyme Art Association.

Lyme Art Gallery - Cooper Ferry Gallery, Dianne Gorrick — Dianne Gorrick, John O’Keefe Jr.
and Oddvar Breiland (Dianne’s husband)

Event Literature – About the Judge

Phil Cutting publicity photograph — **Phil Cutting**

Associate Artist at the Lyme Art Gallery 1

Bob Gregg publicity photograph — **Bob Gregg**

Associate Artist at the Lyme Art Gallery 2

Maryanne Rupp publicity photograph — **Maryanne Rupp**

Maryanne Rupp is a Killingworth pastel and oil artist who has won numerous art awards and has displayed her work throughout New England. She is a member of the Connecticut Pastel Society, the Lyme Art Association, the Madison Art Society, and the Clinton Art Society. Her work is in private collections throughout the Northeast, and she has studied pastel with Joanne Ballinger at the Lyme Art Association for the past seven years. She has taken numerous workshops with renowned local artists such as Karen Winslow, Diane Aeschliman, Jack Broderick, Hollis Dunlap, and Lou Bonamarte. She believes that producing art is the artist’s ability to find beauty in ordinary objects. 3, 4

Bev Schirmeir publicity photograph — **Bev Schirmeir**

Associate Artist at the Lyme Art Gallery

Footnotes:

Image of Phil Cutting from www.thetimesgroup.com ~ Community section ~ July 17, 2009.
Image of Bob Gregg from the fall 2008 newsletter the Lyme Art Association printed.
Bio information on Maryanne Rubb taken from Clinton Art Society website: Artist of the Month article ~ June 2008.
Image of Maryanne Rupp from Madison Art Society ~ March 2008.

John O’Keefe Jr. is Featured Artist at Lyme Art Gallery

Posted on February 26, 2009 by John O'Keefe Jr.

Things keep getting better for me with my art. The following press release about me was released before the Lyme Art Association 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibition: “John O’Keefe Jr. is Featured Artist at Lyme Art Gallery.” WOW!!!

Featured Artist at Lyme Art Gallery – Press Release

LYME ART ASSOCIATION, 90 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, 06371

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Publicity Contact: Susan Cornell
Phone: [removed]
Email: [removed]

Image Attached: John O’Keefe, Big Cork Tree, Oil, 8″ x 10″

LAA’s Feature Artist, John O’Keefe

Landscape oil painting specialist John O’Keefe is Lyme Art Association’s feature artist. O’Keefe is showing at LAA’s current exhibition, the 17th Annual Associate Artist Exhibition, on view through February 28.

Early LIfe

O’Keefe has loved viewing and creating art for as long as he can remember. “Growing up, I was always drawing with pencils, colored pencils, watercolors, and I tried just about everything I could get my hands on,” he said. He received formal art training during his primary school years and placed within the top five at a state-level student art competition. He studied watercolor painting privately with Connecticut artist Cathy Singer and received training at the Paier College of Art in New Haven, Connecticut, all before graduating high school.

O’Keefe’s love for art led him to seek a career in mechanical drafting. As new technologies emerged, he advanced from manual drafting to more sophisticated 3D CAD modeling systems, project management, and new product development. The work was very technical, but an artistic element was also involved in the design and documentation.

He pursued musical arts and ran a small recording studio out of his home while playing guitar in a few bands.

Currently, O’Keefe is leading a video game project to develop a sophisticated DC-9-41 cockpit add-on package for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This project focused on the Scandinavian Airline Service (SAS) DC-9 airplane OY-KGR.

Currently

More recently, his wife Jennifer rekindled his zeal for drawing and painting. “It was her encouragement and support that motivated me to take up oil painting as a full-time artist in 2007, and now we are working together to promote my paintings,” he said.

Their daughter’s health problems were also significant in his becoming a full-time artist. Danielle O’Keefe suffers from a rare genetic disorder known as Epidermolysis Bullosa, which affects the skin and surface areas of the body. Like her father, Danielle has loved painting, drawing, and creating art since she was a little child.

O’Keefe specializes in Landscape Oil Painting in style similar to the famous Hudson River School and Victorian-era artists. He sells original works and a variety of high-quality pigment print reproductions.

“I love the early American painters from the Hudson River School and Victorian era. Most of my landscape oil paintings are directed toward the styles of those early artists. I hope to one day produce comparable works to such masters of landscape as Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, and John Kennsett,” said the artist. “My paintings have been displayed at prestigious exhibitions at the Lyme Art Gallery and Mystic Arts Center in Connecticut. I have won awards, and the future only seems brighter as I work to promote my art,” he added.

Big Cork Tree Painting

O’Keefe’s Big Cork Tree is on view at the Lyme Art Association’s current show, the 17th Annual Artist Exhibition. The painting started as a tree study as he has been working to improve his skills in painting trees in preparation for some larger paintings in the works. “The sky, as with most of my skies, is painted from photographs my wife Jennifer takes. We may drive to look for beautiful skies and local landscape scenery to photograph. An old Victorian engraving of a cork tree inspired the tree itself. The land and distant hills are done to capture an African landscape,” he explains.

“Some other details on the painting are that it’s mounted on medium textured canvas and I used Winsor & Newton ‘Artist Oil Colors.’ Also, as with most of my paintings, they are only complete once I get the ok from Jennifer. She has an excellent eye for spotting something that looks off or is missing,” he says, adding, “We hang my works that are in process in our living room. Sometimes after a few days or weeks, we decide a particular painting needs something more added, so it goes back on the easel for some touch-up work. I like being surrounded by reproductions of my previous works to gauge my progress as a landscape painter. Most original works are for sale.”

John O'Keefe Jr. is Featured Artist, 'Big Cork Tree' Featured Painting — *“Big Cork Tree”* by John O’Keefe Jr.

Lyme Art Gallery – About Lyme Art Association

LAA is located at 90 Lyme Street in Old Lyme. Admission is free, with contributions greatly appreciated. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, 1 to 5 pm. For more information on exhibitions, purchase of art, art classes, or becoming a member, call 860-434-7802.

Founded in 1914 by the American Impressionists, the Lyme Art Association continues the tradition of exhibiting and selling representational artwork by its members, inviting artists, and offering art instruction and lectures to the community. The Lyme Art Association is located at 90 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, in a building designed by Charles Adams Platt and located within a historic district. Admission is free, with contributions appreciated. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, 1 to 5 pm. For more information on the exhibition

Also, check out the exhibition.

Summer Exhibition by Lyme Art Association (2008)

Posted on June 30, 2008 by John O'Keefe Jr.

The Summer Exhibition by Lyme Art Association was my second group exhibition. This significantly boosted my confidence because I was a newcomer to the Connecticut art scene. All of this was new to me, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit I was very nervous. Therefore, I was grateful to have Jennifer at my side, encouraging me.

Opening Reception (6-27-2008) – Summer Exhibition

The Summer Exhibition by Lyme Art Association held the opening reception on the 27th of June, 2008, from 6:00-8:00 PM, and over 200 guests attended the reception. Jennifer and I had the opportunity to meet and talk with David Leffel and his wife, Sherri McGraw. Specifically, we discussed my painting that they accepted into the exhibition.

The Field's Edge — *“The Field’s Edge”* by John O’Keefe Jr.

“Excellent graphics. I love the contrast between light and dark. Unanimously accepted.” ~ David Leffel

Meeting other Artists – Summer Exhibition

Later, I met Graham Scott, Photographer, and Advertising Director for ‘The Art Guide.’ Graham was the one who directed me to the Lyme Art Association after viewing my work several weeks ago, and his compliments and encouragement led me to join the association as an Associate Member. Thereafter, he introduced Jennifer and me to Diane Aeschliman (Elected Member and Board of Directors). Also, Anna Grenier congratulated me on being accepted into the exhibition. Anna is the Managing Director of the Lyme Art Gallery. Additionally, she said, “This was a tough show to get in. Out of more than 200 submitted paintings, the number accepted was 60.”

Jennifer and I met Barbara Lussier (Elected Member and Vice President of the Board of Directors). And before the reception ended, we had an opportunity to meet ‘Smiling’ Don, a lovely older gentleman who had previously modeled for artists. We had a friendly conversation about our previous careers (before art), and he wished us success on this adventure.

Lastly, we met the Director of Sculpture for the Hudson Valley Art Association. Subsequently, We discussed the steps required to become an elected member, and he said he would help start me on that process.

Overall the evening was inspiring and fun, and I received many commendations for my work. And people said they looked forward to seeing more of me and my paintings.

About the Judges – Summer Exhibition

David Leffel publicity photograph — **David Leffel**

David A. Leffel has been internationally recognized as a “20th Century Old Master,” an honor that very few living American artists achieve. If we travel back to the 17th century Dutch Masters, most notably Rembrandt, who casts a powerful shadow on Leffel’s work, not only the shades of history but the artist’s immediacy that awakens us to his brilliance. Leffel is said to be a true master of chiaroscuro, not only with his shadow and light but with brilliant visual concepts. David Leffel is highly sought after not only as an artist but highly respected as an “Artist who Teaches.” Lyme Art Association is proud to welcome Mr. Leffel. 1, 2

Sherri McGraw publicity photograph — **Sherri McGraw**

Sherri McGraw is a highly accomplished artist who firmly believes in developing as an artist through observation. She doesn’t encourage any mechanical means, such as measuring systems, to provide the artists to capture a likeness or the essence of an object. The artist must observe through visual relationships for creative expression. Ms. McGraw was born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in Ponca City, Oklahoma. She is considered a highly accomplished painter and master draughtsman. Her serious art studies took place at the famous Art Students League in N.Y.C. after five years of college. She is also a practitioner of Chiaroscuro’s “way of seeing.” She has exhibited both nationally and internationally. Also, she is the author of “The Language of Drawing from an Artist viewpoint.” The Lyme Art Association welcomes Sherri McGraw. 3, 4

Footnotes:

Image of David Leffel from www.oldmastersmaroger.com.
Bio information for David Leffel as printed on Lyme Art Association’s 2008 Summer Exhibit event brochure.
Image of Sherri McGraw from www.oldmastersmaroger.com.
Bio information for Sherri McGraw as printed on Lyme Art Association’s 2008 Summer Exhibit event brochure.