Olivia O'Neil

Painting of geometric shapes in green, pink, yellow, and shades of brown.

Untitled
2019
Acrylic and Collage on Canvas



Photo of Olivia O'Neil

Olivia O'Neil

Artist biography

Hi, I'm Olivia! Throughout my undergrad I enjoyed working through different mediums and seeing my work progress over my four years at Western. I loved my experience in Practicum because it allowed me to focus on my practice, while being in constant contact with other artists my age!

This year, I mainly focused on abstracting interior spaces while exploring collage, pattern, shape and texture. In my studio space, I was always planning compositions, working through different materials, and painting with oil and acrylic.

I am inspired by interior design in all of its complexities: colour, texture, pattern, shape, and style. A living space is something that is personal and unique to an individual, and I’m interested in the way each item within a space contributes to an overall aesthetic. Interior design is a very “man-made” practice, and my work focuses on taking 3D spaces to create a 2D composition that is more organic and less structured. I enjoy experimenting with the same components of interior design, but in a way that is abstract and less recognizable; this creates an overall mood to a painting that is similar to a living space.

My process includes looking at interior design photography from magazines, and then sketching to create my own compositions. As a work progresses, I decide where to include elements of texture and pattern. My paintings involve aspects of collage to emphasize a 2D aspect of a 3D space. I work on large canvases to allow the viewer enough space to immerse themselves into a painting. My process of layering and collage is relevant to the overall subject of interior design.

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Untitled
2020
Acrylic on Canvas

Painting of white flowers surrounded by green and brown leaves against a purple background.
Painting of organic shapes divided into three pieces by white, forked lines.

Untitled
2020
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas



Photo of the artist's studio with paintings hanging on the wall for review.

Inside the artist's studio