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Mari H. O’Brien (Flynn’s Mom) is a painter, photographer, and jewelry designer who spent 25 years as an academic teaching French and English language and literature, comparative literature, and humanities—until she felt a calling to return to the art that inspired much of her youth. Prior to her rediscovery of art and design, she conducted research on, published studies about, and taught literature courses with an ecocritical focus, exploring how nature and literature interact. She continues to be inspired especially by the natural world.
Mari’s art works are mainly rendered in watercolor, pastel, collage, mixed media, and photography. She has always felt an irresistible compulsion to interpret the natural visions she encounters in the world. She frequently enhances her photos digitally, filtering her visions of nature through a visual artist’s lens, with the creative possibilities that technology provides. Both her artwork and photography appear on her greeting cards, note cards, calendars, and other items; her greeting cards feature her original verses.
Her jewelry line—Chez Mimi ~ Bijoux faits à la main (Mimi’s Place ~ Hand Made Jewelry)—will transport you on a journey featuring Mari’s unique vision. Her “funky-feminine“ designs attest to her influence by both nature and the wider world and incorporate both symbolic and natural elements. She uses only the finest components in her pieces: sterling silver, natural and oxydized copper findings & beads; gold-filled and niobium findings and beads; Czech and Chinese hand-blown glass beads and components; art glass components; Swarovski and Chinese crystals; freshwater pearls; faillance (ceramic) beads, and semi-precious gemstones.
Mari zealously believes that Nature has many lessons to teach humans, if we will only listen to her voice.. Her boy, Flynn, keeps her centered on these lessons.
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