Casey O'Connell-Gator in Love-art collaboration

One of our art collaborations this season is with the amazingly talented artist Casey O'Connell.  She made the adorable "Gator in Love" graphic for us.  Find out more about her below and be sure to check out her website to see more of her beautiful artwork.

At what age did you start creating art?

I was in the car on a family vacation and I got really frustrated with my coloring books.  I was sick of coloring Donald Duck doing Duckish things, I wanted him to climb trees and hang out with Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks.  I remember the exact moment it dawned on me that I could make that happen by drawing my own coloring book.

Do you remember when you really felt like art was going to be part of your life forever?

To be honest, I cannot remember a time when art wasn’t a part of my life. I think I have always felt as long as I am breathing, art will be there. I don’t really know another way of existing. 

What childhood interests or memories continue to influence you still today? 

My Grandmother and the words, “Once upon a time...”

Tell us a little about your process, how do you find inspiration and how does that lead to the end result?

I am tenacious about following my thoughts.  I sit and stare all the time, trying my best to actually let my mind go where it wants to go.  Once it gets there I try and capture it before it is off and running again.  The thoughts can be really really simple, a split second of clarity or insane and difficult to recognize.  It is with these end result thoughts that I begin every new painting.

What motivates you to keep creating? Is it a desire to change the world or the way people think or more just a necessity, something that has to come out of you?

It is a total necessity for me.  Creating   is how I ask questions. It allows me to experiment with an infinite number of possible solutions and discover the answers that are true for me.  

When you were a child, besides an artist what did you dream of being or doing?

I wanted to be a scuba diving pirate.

If you couldn't do art what would you do?

See above.

What kind of things from your everyday life inspire what you do in your art? 

Anything that makes me laugh so hard I start to cry.  Butterflies in my stomach.  Awkward situations.   Anxiety.  Sharing Secrets.  Double dares. Mixed tapes.  The new.  The old.

How much of what you do is a statement, how much is a response and how much is just experimentation or exploration?  

I try really hard to have my paintings feel  open ended.  I work out a thought as much as I can and then leave it up to the viewer to decide what should happen next.

Check out her website:  www.caseyoconnell.com