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THE JOURNEY




      My name is Robin O'Connor and I am an artist living in Marietta, Georgia. Since I was a child, I have always enjoyed creating art which led me to earn an art degree in 1973. I have been a working artist for the past thirty-six years primarily as a watercolor and acrylic painter. In 1997, I started taking clay handbuilding classes at a county arts facility. I loved working with the clay and after experimenting with many techniques I gravitated toward coiled vessel work. I have spent the last fifteen years perfecting the coiled vessel form. An exciting development for me in October of 2011 was the renting of a painting studio 8 minutes from my home which is a dream come true.

      For information on my past exhibitions click here

      My other passion besides art is the privilege of volunteering at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, Georgia for the past 14 years. Most of that time has been assisting in the Horticulture Department where I am part of a team that propagates native plants that are planted in our beautiful butterfly gardens and are available to the community in our twice a year native plant sales.



      For the past few years I have also been part of a group called ChattPACK who serve as ambassadors of the Chattahoochee Nature Center in the surrounding communities.I feel very strongly in environmental education and I have been profoundly influenced by the book: LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS (Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder) by Richard Louv. The mission statement of the Chattahoochee Nature Center states:to provide unique learning experiences focused on the Chattahoochee River that connect people to the natural world and empower them to positively impact their local environments." This is accomplished by the 10,000 square foot Discovery Center that serves as Georgia's First Interpretive Center for the Chattahoochee River. In addition there are 127 acres of gardens, woodland trails, birds of prey aviaries including the 2 American Bald Eagles, camps for children. and numerous festivals throughout the year.



      My favorite festival is the Flying Colors Butterfly Festival held each July . The live butterfly releases, tented butterfly house, butterfly gardens with an abundance of host and nectar plants specifically planted to attract butterflies, arts and crafts, entertainment and parades draws thousands of families each year. About 12 years ago I was asked to design and paint 17 specific species of butterflies that are common to Georgia on large wooden cut-outs that were placed around the property. Every year since I give them a fresh coat of paint before the butterfly festival. No other reward can match the joy I feel when young children spot the painted butterflies and embrace them with delight. It is out of this experience that I embarked on a 2 year endeavor to capture these butterflies on canvas and in clay work. My aim is not to duplicate these butterflies in exact detail but to capture the essence of them.







Marietta, Georgia
watercolor and acrylic paintings
ceramic coiled vessels
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