Artist

Olivia O’Keeffe, born in 1975 and grew up in Watergrasshill, Cork, Ireland. Initially she took part in an art and design preparatory course at Coláiste Stíofán Naofa, Cork, and went on 1997 to complete a Diploma in Art at the Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork. During this time she also took part in an Erasmus student exchange programme at the AKI Art College in the Netherlands.

In August 1997 Olivia emigrated to the Netherlands and continued her studies at the Utrecht College of Art. There in 1999, she received a Bachelors Degree in Art. Olivia is since 2004 also a qualified art teacher, having completed a Bachelors of Education in Visual Art and Design, at the same Dutch art college.

Olivia has more than  12 years experience teaching art to children and adults. She has recently moved with her family to Minnesota in the USA and is looking forward to being inspired by her new environment as she continues to create.

Artist's Statement

" I’m fascinated by rugged natural landscapes. Through my paintings I try to highlight the mountains as living, breathing, sensitive giants. On the surface their veins, wrinkles and crevices expose their gentle personality. These ancient structures have many a tale to tell and are steeped in history, having witnessed so much through the centuries. The fall of light is of key importance in my paintings. Through accentuating the effects of light, a mystical atmosphere submerges and transforms my landscapes."

Dynamic and rhythmic movement within a landscape is something that continues to dominate my paintings and is most evident in my new collection. I attempt to give form to these energy fields that can be felt but not always seen. I combine this with accentuating the natural underlying structures in nature. These elements lie at the core of my work. "