Imagination Fuel

When I was seven years old, I was given a Where’s Waldo book for my birthday. That particular year, there was some pretty stiff competition in terms of the gift that got me most fired up. The purple rollerblades were slick as hell, but they chaffed my calf, resulting in a wound that took forever to heal. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures were the ones I’d asked for, but without the Turtle Blimp accessory that I’d truly wanted, their inclusion into my collection left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Where’s Waldo book, however, was the perfect gift for a young boy with a burgeoning imagination. Each scene in the hand illustrated book devoted two large pages to a unique environment that was chock-full of characters engaged in all sorts of wacky antics. Within that, there was always one carefully camouflaged Waldo nestled amongst the chaos for eagle-eyed viewers to spot.

I remember spending countless hours scanning those scenes, taking in every last little detail. To me, finding Waldo was secondary to the thrill of exploration I felt when I set my imagination loose on those action-packed pages. For an entire year, the aunt who had gifted it to me rose to the rank of most favored aunt, only to fall from favor after she proceeded to buy me Spider-Man butt-huggers the following year.

When I look at the work of this week’s featured artist, Connor O’Neill, I can’t help but be reminded of that treasured book from my past. He paints eccentric and cartoony scenes that are a feast for the imagination. The witty twenty-eight year-old, who works in the O’Neill art department, better known as OFX, has been churning out acrylic paintings for years, and also utilizes his creative side in the graphics and aesthetics of his clothing brand, PenPal. 

O’Neill’s art, for the most part, is simplistic and abstract. Just take “Untitled”, one of his most recent works. Rather than being some technical masterpiece, this 71”x45.5” acrylic tells a wonderfully incoherent story through it’s whimsical use of colors and shapes. Whenever I look at his art, such as this piece, it transports me to my youth, where fun ruled over function and being serious was a sin. 

Here, in his own words, O’Neill gives us the low-down on this quirky and offbeat artistic offering. Enjoy!

“My art is pretty user-friendly. I have fun when I paint and never really think of a targeted audience. This piece is actually hanging in my friend’s store, ‘Toasted’, located on 41st Avenue. It has a price tag on it and a few easter eggs hiding inside. Stop by when you get a chance!  

The themes explored here include adventure, mischief and joy. It’s spontaneous, but has a sense of familiarity to this unknown world, you know? I’d call my style explosive, influenced by California coastal livin’. Simply put, my interest is in making dope imagery.”

“In this piece, the feeling I hope to evoke is excitement! I want to create something you want to keep looking at. It’s almost like a trap door or portal for your wall. My process is instantaneous—it takes a minute sometimes. I kinda go at it for awhile, cover it up. Get some outside time. Go at it again. Leave a section then probably cover that up too. Once the surface gets good, all the other elements come together eventually. I paint over a lot of my old paintings so get ’em while they are hot! 

The most enjoyable part of making this piece was mixing the paint, getting in the zone, and seeing the end result. It’s pretty great when someone likes my artwork and they hang it in their home. It’s crazy to me that some people look at my paintings everyday! It’s an honor for sure. 

Music is big for me; I like all sorts of sounds. Jazz, rap, and rock primarily, but sometimes silence works the best for me. I’ll turn the blue tooth speaker on sometimes and have nothing playing. It becomes a meditation.”   

“As an artist, it’s hard to find the perfect work/life/art/surf balance. I’ve been better about sleeping this past year. Typically gotta move my body, get rad before I create. 

I’m super pleased with this piece! I think there’s enough to look at to entertain you for a while. I hope the Toasted Gals aren’t too tired of looking at it yet!”

Follow Connor on Instagram @goldstarconnor

Check out his clothing brand, Pen Pal, as well! @penpalsocialmedia