Beech Tree News Network

An exhibit of the Art of Pat O’Brien will open at the Butler County Arts Guild with a reception Saturday, March 7, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Guild’s gallery at 115 W. Ohio St.,  Morgantown. The public is invited to view the exhibit, meet the artist and enjoy refreshments.

O’Brien is a 1975 graduate of Butler County High School and was active in football, baseball and track. He played football at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. O’Brien said his interest in art began at Centre when he decided to broaden his horizons and signed up for a drawing class during a winter term.

“The class was taught by a grumpy old Texan named Jack Kellam,” O’Brien said. He got a “A” in the class, which O’Brien said were hard to come by at Centre. He went on to take every art class Kellam taught.

Following graduation, O’Brien had a career in the grocery business, owning stores in Lewisport, Kentucky, and Boonville and Tell City, Indiana. Upon selling the stores, Pat told his wife, Joetta Pearson O’Brien, that he wanted to take up painting again. With the help of Debbie Atwell of Gray Wolf Studio and Rhonda McEnroe of Enroe Studio and the 2019 Kentucky Derby Artist, he started over, gravitating toward oils of buildings and portraits.

O’Brien noted some key events in his art career:

-The beheading of journalist Jim Foley in Syria in 2014 was particularly upsetting and creating a painting of Foley seemed to relieve some of O’Brien’s angst about the tragedy. He sent the painting to Foley’s mother and began a discourse with her, whom he calls “a very gracious and forgiving lady.” Diane Foley said she would use the painting to benefit a foundation in Jim’s name.

-O’Brien did a painting of the late glassblower, Stephen Rolfe Powell, a world-renowned artist who taught at Centre for many years. Upon completion, he sent the painting to Powell’s family. O’Brien was pleasantly surprised years later to see it hanging among Powell’s work in the Art Center of The Bluegrass in Danville.

-He painted a portrait of former president George W. Bush at the time Bush began painting portraits of fallen soldiers. Upon receipt of the painting, Bush sent a kind note to O’Brien along with a commentary about paint mixing and blending.

O’Brien still calls himself a “Butler County Bear.” His proudest “Bear” event was playing Warren Central in 1974. Warren Central had just over 100 players with 22 seniors. Butler County had 17 players total. He said officials considered forfeiture.

“We voted to play the game,” O’Brien said. “We lost. We were not shut out. Warren Central fans shook our hands and hugged us after the game. I cry every time one of the ‘17’ dies.”

He and Joetta have been married for 43 years and now live on Kingfisher Lake in Daviess County with their dog, Radar, “The Wonder Dog.” The couple sells real estate in Kentucky. They have two children, Ian and Maika. Both of their children and four grands (plus one on the way) live in the Napa, California, area.

He is the son of the late Richard and Lois Faye Childers O’Brien. His siblings are the late Kevin Lee O’Brien and Kathy (Matthew) Hampton of Logansport.

Along with showing his work at the Owensboro Art Guild, the Owensboro Museum of Art and Kentucky Wesleyan College, O’Brien does occasional commissions and also art restoration for antique dealers. He says he struggles with tones and blending in his work and probably always will.

The exhibit will be on display through March 28. The Arts Guild gallery is open Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Butler County Arts Guild meets

the last Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. For more information contact Butler County Arts Guild at 270-999-0834