Wendy , acrylic on wood
Orlando Arts & Culture , v . 2.1
and people are going to look at that and see that you ’ re out there hustling . People are not going to care that your shows aren ’ t at a big-time gallery , they ’ re just going to see that you ’ re out there . If you ’ re unhappy with the scene in your town , but you live in that town , make it better . Create your own scene . Find a space and put on a show . Make the thing that you want to see in your town . Curate a show that gets you involved with other artists , and then you can kind of understand where galleries are coming from . Do this and you will have power and won ’ t feel helpless .
“ The internet has made being an artist so much easier ,” she told me . “ You don ’ t have to live in New York or LA anymore . Where would I be if I weren ’ t in Florida ? I ’ m a native and I like it here .” At one point in the night , she did wonder about the outcome if she had went to RISD instead of Ringling for her graduate education , but that thought was shaken off . The only thing O ’ Donnell laments about college is that they do not teach marketing classes for artists . “ Fine art schools should teach a whole semester of marketing . I am sad to hear that they don ’ t .”
In college , O ’ Donnell was a printmaker and sculptor . For both her prints and sculptures , everything was process-based . Dealing with multiples taught her how to fi ne-tune her artistic process . Now , she has taught herself to paint with Golden Open acrylic paints ( who should sponsor her , given the praises she sings about their product ). Golden Open acrylics live in the realm between oil and acrylic paint . They do not dry out fast like traditional acrylics do , but they are less toxic than traditional oil paint . After being a scenic painter for 15 years , O ’ Donnell has been exposed to harsh chemicals and toxins , so acrylics are ideal for her , but she has been fl irting with the idea of switching over to oils at some point . Because she plans out her paintings in Photoshop before she begins the painting process , her paintings are fl awless and precise . “ I started off saying , I don ’ t want to show any of my process ,” she reveals . “ Now , I am starting to show a little bit of process because it doesn ’ t matter . Showing the process is more for artists , because as an artist , I enjoying seeing other people ’ s processes . People become more invested and they see it as a story instead of just the end result .”
You can see more at : www . JohannahODonnell . com
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