Charlie O Sullivan Paintings to wander into

Painter Charlie O Sullivan has mastered the art of telling a visual story through her paintings. She says “Painting is a very solitary activity and my paintings become a conversation with myself. So it’s no surprise to me that an odd figure, an upside down house, a strange dog or teapot appears in my work……its only a reflection of my thoughts and memories.”

“I have a wealth of experience, although not all artistic in themselves they all feed and seep into my paintings in one way or another. As well as a personal reflection I find that I also incorporate the narrative of others which I trip over either in person or through the media. “

Originating in Scotland, Charlie now lives and works a mile from the Devon coast at Bigbury.

“The studio is where I retreat to work…… though it is also somewhere I need to escape from, at times when things just don’t seem to be going the way I intend. So then the beach is where I head to…… walking and talking through my thoughts which tumble in my head not always about work but also about decisions of the day to day, which I need to resolve before I can paint.”

“Living by the coast for the last two years hasn’t turned me into a seascape artist. Rather it has influenced elements, like colour and scale, but most importantly it has given me a place to clear my head and restore my thoughts both before and after painting.” 

Here’s Charlie surrounded by a tide of paints in her studio. What a lovely light space to work in.

Just for fun, I tried working sections from Charlie’s beautiful paintings, into some textile repeats. Her rich painted landscapes are full of textures and minute details that shout out for attention, to the eyes of a textile designer like myself : )

I love her aerial views and hidden (or more obvious) figurative elements. Sumptuous colours and a visual weave of pathways, ensure that Charlie’s paintings are a pleasure to gaze upon for long periods of time. Incredible work. Which one is your favourite ?

Here’s a fab video to give some further insight into how Charlie works.