About Artist Victoria O’Neill
Hello there,
I call myself Artist Victoria O’Neill because Artist is the title I feel that I have earned. I am a painter, illustrator, fiber and collage artist. My mother taught us collage art when we were in diapers. I became a graphic artist because my family had a newspaper and laying out ads was one of the chores we had to do as kids. I started to become a fine artist when I was 16 years old, picked up a pen one day, started to draw, and knew how. I had my first one woman art show, at the age of 19. Years later I began designing and sewing unique clothes and making wild dolls, then learned how to paint. I got myself into the field of sales and learned how to make money. After several years of working for others, I decided to concentrate on selling myself and my own abilities, and became a self employed artist. I’ve studied art here and there off and on, but am primarily self taught. I attended The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and was emphatically instructed by my painting teacher to leave school before they “ruined me”. The advice was taken. I have exhibited my work in many fine art galleries on the west and east coasts, and have taught art in various venues to children and adults, but kind of dropped away from the art world when my husband and I began having our children in 1988. I turned my energy towards creating interesting environments and making fun dolls, toys and clothes for them. When our youngest set off for kindergarten I struggled to figure out how to share my creativity and enthusiasm with others, and try to help make a better world. I started going to libraries and doing fun, hands on art activities with families, and it just grew from there, into the “Mermaid Tales” 100% interactive theatrical storytelling events. It was natural to move on to creating the “Hooray for Bugs” events too, and ideas are brewing for similar programs. I love making dolls, puppets, props and costumes, and those graphic art skills from childhood sure come in handy for creating all my brochures and other printed materials. I have always had a great love for mermaids, so that has been an underlying theme of much of my work for the past twenty five years. Symbolically, mermaids represent women’s power and spirituality. I love all the different facets of the work I do and shine brightest when combining it all, and bringing people together through the arts. Everyone just loves to play! 610-644-8088 ArtistVO@ArtyPantz.com Home Page | ArtyPantz Art For Sale |