some people are just really cool. and make really really cool shit. with little effort. that is kasey o'boyle. since meeting kasey, i have found every opportunity to incorporate her creativity into my life; from live painting at events, to purchasing work, to visiting her exhibitions to the amazing wall mural she created in my dining room.

she has to must eclectic and unique personality that shows through her work. she works really well in repetition and geometry in colors that are just sometimes unreal. when i approached her about the mural at my house, there was not even a bit of hesitation (there never is with kasey). but when i explained my overall vision, kasey came up with a design for the main wall that really brings the whole house together.

then kasey went a step further when she heard that cannon's room was woods themed by giving me these amazing small leaf paintings that could not be more perfect. i treasure them!

i caught up with kasey to share some insight into things not related to my house... read on.

egc: Your work is both detailed and abstract - do you prefer one over the other?

kob: i received a very traditional fine arts education, but i use abstraction as sort of my ‘reset’ button, it helps fill my creative need to push mud around without the pressure of a finite, end result. i take pride in my breadth/range but i also crave style. last year, i began to use a leaf motif to investigate qualities of flat paint, simple shapes, and color relationships. the series was well received and the sustained investigation was a feat for me.

egc: Your style/palate are very diverse. You are drawn to various mediums. What sparks your varied artistic interests?

kob: i work with a lot of clients and each creative project/ problem-to-be-solved requires a different approach or medium; and my portfolio reflects this. i think, too, the variety is the result of me being a young artist. i’m failing fast and often and i’m having a heck of a good time.

… and there was that one time i was professionally diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder

egc: You are participating in artomatic - can you share what that work is about?

kob: essentially i made a giant collage in an attempt to work through, and offer some reflection on, my experience as a first year art teacher. i work in two high-needs elementary schools and i have 850 students total. i love being an art teacher because it is a job that allows me to get a little messy and use my creative intelligence each day. i love my students’ efforts, building up their confidence, and expanding their minds through art. BUT TEACHING IS A GRIND.

for my piece in Art-O-Matic, I use commonplace school objects (post-its, college rule paper, no. 2 pencils, thumbtacks etc) in addition to various symbols, in attempt to explore the duality of school as sanctuary and inferno.

egc: Can you explain your artistic process?

kob: i think, naturally, with my artist personality, i internalize everything around me. this sensitivity is my source of curiosity and inspiration. i constantly write notes and sketch in a small notebook. i’m also the type of person who wakes up in the middle of the night with an idea and grabs a pen. my golden rule is “work general to specific, always.” and i truly believe that every problem has a solution.

egc: Who inspires you?

kob: Kelly Towles - because of how he’s able to incorporate style + breadth and ever-evolve (something i need to work on -- see question no. 2) his work is everywhere, from private collections to freaking Dolcezza gift cards. Towles is also an effective community organizer and brought a world-class mural festival called POW WOW! to NoMa last year and in a very big, public way, raised the bar for art production in DC. ALSO he’s a dad. artists/creatives who are moms and dads inspire me -- clap ya hands emoji --