JENNIFER O’CUALAIN
TRAILSIDE GALLERIES AND ART ADVISORY IS PROUD TO NOW REPRESENT
JENNIFER O’CUALAIN
JENNIFER O’CUALAIN
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.”
Born and raised in the midwest, she always knew she wanted to be an artist. She attended Arizona State University on a full scholarship and graduated with a BFA in 1995. Throughout high school and college, she concentrated on portrait art, both people and pets, but she knew that one day her overall love of animals would need to become a larger part of her artistic career.
She notes, “Traveling has allowed me to get close to animals in the wild in a way I’d never expected. During a trip to Glacier National Monument, I stood ten feet away from a mature rocky mountain bighorn sheep. He stood only briefly while I stared in awe. I could see deep into his big dark eyes. This majestic wild animal had no fear of me! In fact, I almost felt as if he were as curious about me as I was about him. I feel an absolutely real sense that there is much more communication between humans and animals than anyone really considers.” She adds, “While most of my inspiration comes from my love of animals, a significant motivator also stems from my fascination with symbolism.”
Jennifer has won countless awards for her work including a full scholarship to the Art Institute of Southern California at Laguna Beach, a full scholarship to attend Arizona State University and a cash scholarship offered only once by critically acclaimed western artist James Reynolds. In 2010, Jennifer was honored by the Oil Painters of America, receiving the Animals Award of Excellence for Associate and Signature members.
Dreaming of Peace
oil on canvas
56 x 48 inches
$18,000
Living in the desert southwest, I consider coyotes to be the quintessential apex predator. Rarely do people see a coyote and not think, “Oh no, where’s my cat?” In this painting, I am forcing an emotional reaction that one might not expect. The coyote is resting peacefully under a beautiful blooming yucca. The white doves, which embody the meaning of peace, flit about him, without a care. The tranquil scene begs us to rest a moment so we can enjoy the opportunity to be content.
Monsoon Spectators
oil on canvas
60 x 96 inches
$55,000
This is the largest painting in the “Compilation” series. All of the birds are life size in this piece.
This scene depicts a litany of bird species who utilize the saguaro for height advantage. The distant clouds are reminiscent of a stormy day and the creosote in the foreground offers visual evidence of what gives our desert its unique smell when it rains.
The Cardinal’s Sin
oil on canvas
9 x 15 inches
$1,800
While Eve was the first to be disobedient by taking a bite from an apple in the Garden of Eden, this Cardinal has committed a sin of less consequence. He has tasted an apple from this cardboard crate merely to check its flavor quality. I think we should forgive him.
You Make Me Blush (I’m Grapeful for You)
oil on canvas
10 x 8 inches
$1,500
Two Black Capped Chickadees dance around a box of fresh grapes. Their flirtation reminds me of the carefree days of youth, when a subtle glance could spark a brief burst of infatuation or lead to an enduring love.
Green Stick Gathering
oil on canvas
60 x 48 inches
$22,000
This is from my “Compilation Series” where I take one plant element from an ecosystem and discuss its relationship with the birds and animals who reside near it.
The Palo Verde is the Arizona state tree for a reason. It lives for about 50 years... and in that time, it offers the exact amount of protection from heat and light that a baby saguaro requires in order to establish itself. This is why it is also known as a “nurse tree.” By the time a Palo Verde has reached the end of its life cycle, any small saguaros beneath its spiny branches will have found its footing.
The birds and animals around this Palo Verde have come together on a hot day to share in the shade and sanctuary of the tree.
Family Outing
oil on canvas
11 x 14 inches
$1,600
This little family is making its first outing after the hatch. The tiny delicate babies are experiencing their first moments of life out from under the thorny, protective branches of the bougainvillea plant. What a beautiful thing to witness!
Every spring when the Gambel’s Quail are most active in my yard, I admire the accent color of their covert feathers which coordinate with the pink bracts of the bougainvillea plant. It’s as if nature wants to harmonize with these feathered vocalists and invite them to nest under their protective branches.
The Bougainvillea Brigade
oil on canvas
19 x 33 inches
$4,800
At the Watering Hole
oil on canvas
27 x 27 inches
$4,600
This painting is about the migration of time. The sandhill crane is famous for its migration pattern. The dragonfly is, historically, a symbol of change. The watermelon is showing all four stages of its life: Seed, Plant, Flower and Fruit.
Moonlighting oil on canvas
12 x 12 inches
$1,800
This Western Screech Owl is working the night shift of the Sonoran Desert. The moonlight offers just enough for his huge eyes to observe the abundant array of insects on the evening’s menu
48 x 37 inches
$14,000
In my newest series (the “Murals” series) I am exploring the notion that traditions in tequila manufacturing are fading away. Once, burros were used to gather the harvested agave for distillation, but that technique has been replaced by machinery. The mural on the wall behind the burro shows a blue agave farm, but now it is fading and peeling. The building is surrounded by agave plants which have gone to seed, further evidence that the old ways are no longer utilized.
Tequila Sunset oil on canvas