Jennifer O'Cualain - Family Outing

Jennifer O’Cualain, b. United States

Jennifer O’Cualain is a prolific painter of all things natural. Her popular wildlife paintings touch on the idea of illustrating the simple and honest physical characteristics of many species ranging from field mice to bison. Of her painting technique, she says, “I strive to make my paintings more like portraits than typical animal art. The feel of fur under your hand is a relatively universal goal, but I want my viewers to get a sense of the individual animal.”

“Traveling has allowed me to get close to animals in the wild in a way I’d never expected. I feel an absolutely real sense that there is much more communication between humans and animals than anyone really considers. While most of my inspiration comes from my love of animals, a significant motivator also stems from my fascination with symbolism."