Selected Works

About O’Neill

Brian O’Neill’s work has been showcased in galleries across the United States, Canada, England, and Japan. O’Neill is a graduate of the Ani Art Academy apprenticeship program, where he trained with renowned realism painter Anthony Waichulis. Brian has found great success in both classic oil realism and well as bold and dynamic abstract painting. O’Neill’s formal training in representational drawing and painting gave him the freedom to create in both worlds—the recognizable and the imagined. His expressive Contemporary Landscapes work explores the natural world around us by abstracting horizon, atmosphere, fire, mineral, water, and rough texture that is juxtaposed with luminous metal leaf. Many collectors of O’Neill’s work are amazed to discover that the same artist has created a highly-refined oil realism painting as well as a contemporary abstract—they are fascinated that he can do both. In O’Neill’s recent body of work, he has begun to merge these two worlds with a collection he calls, the gilded figure; graceful, beautiful, powerful and timeless paintings of the human form within a backdrop of flowing metal leaf work.

Brian is a sought-after instructor. He teaches workshops and long-term students in his Rochester, NY studio in fundamental drawing and painting. His work has been included in several museums shows in recent years where he has won awards and praise. O’Neill received a Jurors Choice award at the Naples Museum of Art, Naples, FL. For the Blossom 2: Art of Flowers International Competition and was also included in the two-year traveling museum show. Other museum show highlights include: The American Still Life at The Shreveport Museum of Art, and inclusion in both the 74th and 75th annual regional exhibition at The Arnot Art Museum, Elmira NY.

O’Neill’s paintings have won numerous international awards and feature articles in many of today’s top art publications, such as: The Artist’s Magazine “An Artist’s Life” Sept. 2014, The Pastel Journal Magazine’s Top 100 Competition by winning 2nd Place in the still life category and was featured in the April 2011 issue, The Artist’s Magazine Annual Competition, Art Renewal Center Salon Competition, and the Art Kudos International. O’Neill’s abstract diptych “Summer Discovery” 1&2 was featured in The Wall Street Journal, April 2017, as part of a story about the 13,000 square- foot mansion where the paintings hang.

“My responsibility as an artist is one that asks me to create not because I want to, but because I have to. My goal with each painting is to infuse my passion for beauty in a language that can be read and felt by all people that view my work. I challenge myself to always remain open to learning and making work at the highest level possible.” –Brian O’Neill