Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Welcome to My Blog!

     This is my first blog ever but I am confident I will not fail. I am optimistic that I will gain a great following and really appreciate you being my audience from the very beginning. It is through your support that I will be able to continue my artistic journey and share it with the world. 
        I have never been the type of person to give up. This strongly reflects in my artwork because it features strength and knowledge. I also love to travel and find the humor in life. My artwork encompasses all of this and more. It captures me. 
       I have created a few different series over the years but one is very true to my heart. It is my Cuban Series. I am the first born generation here in the United States. My family is from the capital, Havana, in Cuba. 
        My family's story is an amazing one and ever since I can remember, I loved listening to it. I loved listening to the history of my people in Cuba. The struggle and everything that makes Cuba the great country it is. Cuba is rich in culture and has been the genius behind so many things. 
       It was listening to the stories of my family that made me more fasinated with Cuba as a whole. That is why my Cuban Series explores Cuba in its entirety. It ranges from daily life to politics. It will also depict the arts and rich culture Cuba has created. 
       For 2016, my focus is to really expand on my Cuban Series. Therefore, my blog will strongly follow my Cuban Series and artistic journey. I really hope you walk with me... I have created an oil painting this year called "Cuba, Mi Tierra."
This is her:


       Let me know what you think about her. When I created this oil painting, her eyes stared deeply into mine as I finished painting her dark ebony skin. She had taken me quite a while to complete but my desire to have her voice heard drove me with intensity to continue and press on. Plus, with the inspirational 80s freestyle music playing in the background and making me shake my tail feather, there was no reason to stop! The mood in my art studio was the same as usual. High energy mixed into a delicious cocktail of creativity, determination, and purpose. 

Aside from letting my brain drown in the lyrics of the music and my blood be saturated in its rhythm, I was thinking of the what with my Afro Cuban woman. What was it about my Cubanita that I wanted my audience to capture. I listened to her and let her speak. Then I knew.

 I wanted people to know she is happy. She feels the soft moist dirt beneath her feet. This is home. It is Cuba, her only home. She loves her modest life such as the tobacco field she tends and the hot sun that fills her with energy and warmth. She has a strong appreciation for the mountain range behind her that she used to explore as a child and now admires for its beauty. 

However, in her heart, she also holds a deep sadness. It is a dark place in her heart filled with disappoint and regret. To the world, she is content and full of life, but her heart bleeds. Her native Cuba is under an oppressive government that dictates and refines it's people to mere breathing and existence. The Cuban people have lost their freedom, their basic human rights. In a country filled with so much culture and life, what is left is a small beaming hope of a better future. Listen to her story but be assured it is shared by countless others.

        As I mentioned earlier, I hope you continue to follow me as I take this artistic journey. It will be fun and exciting yet educational and breath taking. I am an artist that is full of life and intensity. My color palette reflects this because it is vibrant with a very bold composition. 

         I invite everyone to engage in conversation with me! I love making friends and connecting with the world around me! Please be sure to follow me as well! 

         Listed below are all the ways you can stay connected to me:


Instagram:  @StephanieOConnorArt

Facebook:  /StephanieOConnorArtwork 

Website:  TheArtisticGiraffe.com

Email:  TheArtisticGiraffe@gmail.com


      My goal is to post a blog once a month. However, I am going to do everything in my power to post more often so we can stay connected! You have so much to learn about me and I really want to make it happen! Make sure to follow me so you never miss a beat!


Thanks forever,

Stephanie O'Connor 

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