Gary Shane Francis O’Brien

Born and grew up in New Zealand, attended Matamata College, living in the USA. Where I hang my hat is my home and I like to change hats.
I draw whatever makes me feel good, so there are no wrong answers. The influences for what I draw are things going on around me, the music I’m listening to, what I’m watching, reading, thinking about, or my mood. The first thing that happens is very much an unconscious frenzy of scribble on paper, with the chosen device usually being a pencil. Sometimes I use a pen but that’s so erasing isn’t possible.
Beyond that moment, it’s somewhat of a mystery tour. I can usually, very roughly, see where the piece is going, but it’s always a fun ride.
II’s only after that scribble moment, that the process is a conscious and purposeful effort. The challenge then becomes what my conscious mind will decipher from my unconscious doodle.
The writing/poetry/prose side of me is the same. The inspiration comes sporadically, but the process afterwards is to decipher what was going on in that moment. The words or ideas that appear on the page can be funny, strange, thought provoking or silly.
Getting it on to the page can be a problem as well. Inspiration isn’t always convenient, it jumps at you when you least expect it. Either you don’t have a piece of paper, or, there’s no way to record your gem, well, you think it’s a gem at the time.
The process from beginning to end is filled with effort, confusion, destruction, reconstruction, happy, sad, laughter, and every other emotion. I love it all and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s fun, always.
Cheers, Gary
PS Check out Gary’s website to view his latest works – fascinating! www.garyshanefrancis.com