“Realism to Abstraction”

Artist Karie O’Donnell
October 7 – December 21, 2025
From Realism to Abstraction

Artist Statement
I have been in love with the ethereal beauty of birds for as long as I can remember. As soon as I was able to hold a pencil, I became fascinated with capturing these beautiful creatures – their images, personalities and spirits on paper. And, so, I have been portraying them all my life in paper sculptures, graphite drawings, and since 2012, in oil paintings. Realism had been my primary style up until Covid emerged. During this solemn time of solitude and reflection, I let go of control and explored the freedom of abstraction. It’s been enlightening.

By combining both styles, my goal is to accentuate the beauty and balance of nature, while pushing the elements of shape, texture and color.
My love for art and wildlife was cultivated during childhood summers with my grandmother in North Carolina. She enrolled me in art classes and encouraged me to journal. I spent countless, tranquil hours in the woods drawing and writing about my bird and animal observations. My life between these summers was disorderly, moving yearly until the age of 14. So, creating art became my refuge and sense of control. Every stroke is a decision to connect to another stroke, and every shape has its place – akin to assembling a puzzle. Interestingly, math plays an integral part to this creative process.

Drafting classes in high school led to Architecture in College, but I soon discovered that Graphic Arts and Illustration were a better fit. Inspired by Leo Monahan’s work, paper sculpture became my primary medium at Mass Art. Each piece was a gratifying challenge of connecting shapes and then photographing the outcome in a different light. As my works became more detailed and hand painted, I embarked on an Endangered Animal series. But In 2009, my new mentor encouraged me to set aside paper sculpture and re-explore my drawing skills.

I then began a long series of graphite bird portraits – mastering lights, darks and all the shades between. Little did I know, this endeavor laid the groundwork for my future success in oil painting. To my delight, I naturally understood color value and fell in love with oil painting from the first attempt. Many of my oils have an accompanying graphite study; each medium complimenting the other. My style had been realism with brushwork, but palette knife painting eventually became an integral part of my process. This element of fluidity helped aid my big leap into the exploration of abstraction.

Bio
‘My joy is to recreate a beautiful moment with exceptional design & craftsmanship in every detail.’
Karie O’Donnell graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art with a BFA in Illustration. She studied architecture and graphic design at NYIT as well as photography with the University of Pittsburgh’s Semester at Sea, visiting 10 countries around the world. Her oil paintings, graphite drawings, paper sculptures and walnut inks have won numerous awards. She is a Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists and a licensed Massachusetts Wildlife Rehabilitator.