Maureen O'Brien
Illustration, Nashville Tennessee United States
 
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Contact details
PO Box 1472
Franklin, TN 37065
Tel: 615 833-8507
Brief Summary
I specialize in children’s book illustrations as well as commercial illustration for corporate, editorial, and advertising clients.

With a BFA from Kendall College of Art & Design and MFA from Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, in Illustration & Design, I worked for several years as an art director/illustrator in Southwest Michigan and Middle Tennessee, before starting my own venture as M.O. Illustration & Design Services. I reside in Franklin, TN, and enjoy working out of my home studio. I also teach Graphic Design & illustration at O'More College of Design, Franklin, TN. I have taught Illustration, design, and foundations classes at Nossi College of Art and The Art Institute of TN-Nashville.
Clients
Baker Book House
Baptist Hospital
Christian Woman Magazine
Coolsprings Press
Culture Magazine
Dalmatian Press
Guideposts 4 Kids Magazine
Home Life Magazine
The Ingram Group
Kellogg Co.
Kregel Publishing
Lifeway Publishing
La-Z-Boy
Mature Living Magazine
MSP Communications
Music City Web Design
ATA World Magazine
Nashville Chamber of Commerce
Nestle Foods Corp.
Palmtree Publishing, Inc
Prism Music
Thomas Nelson Publishing
WORD Music/ Entertainment
The Wealth Institute Magazine
Schubi Educational Pub., Switzerland
Professional Experience
MFA - University of Hartford, Hartford Art School – 2012, Hartford, CT, 
(Regents Honor Award nominee) Illustration and Design with emphasis in Visual Communications 
Education, directed by Dr. Murray Tinkelman (Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame). Working with 
widely known professionals such as Gary Kelley, CF Payne, Nancy Stahl, Zina Saunders, Dennis Nolan, Bill Thomson and many others, I created award winning thesis work; a 32 page original interactive story (children’s song, simple animation proposed for an app and an educational website), Leapin’ Lizards! I also made lifelong friendships and affiliations with leaders in the industry and Art Education.

BFA - Kendall College of Art & Design – 1984, Grand Rapids, MI – (Magna Cum Laude) majoring in Illustration and Graphic Design, with emphasis in Studio Arts such as advanced 
printmaking, oil painting and 3-D, as well as Textile Design - creating tapestries on a Cranbrook Loom.

MO Illustration & Design Services – 1986 - present, SW MI and Middle TN
Providing Graphic Design and Illustration Services on a freelance/contract basis for ad agencies, corporations and publishing companies. Proficient in Adobe software. Partial client list has included: 

Published Illustrated Books:
Willy The Panther Cat, author Jean Simmons - Ingram Pub., Dec 2014
     Janice Keck Literary Award, PB category, runner up Animals, Animals, Animals Chicago Book Show
     competition 2014
Babba And I Went Hunting Today, author Stacy Barton, Kregel Pub., Kidzone, 2006
Koala Kid, Little Chick, Bunny Tale & Bear Baby, Boardbook Series, Dalmatian Press, 2002
Once Upon A Time In Bethlehem, author Cindy Sterling, WORD Pub., 2000

Teaching Experience:
O’More College of Design - 2014 (fall) - present
Adjunct Visual Design and Illustration Professor. Courses: Design Basics, Advertising Design I and II, Illustration II, Corporate Design I, Digital Imaging

The Art Institute of TN-Nashville - summer quarter 2014 - present fall quarter
Adjunct Foundations Professor. Color Fundamentals and Fundamentals of Design

Nossi College of Art – spring 2011 - summer 2014 (trimester)
Adjunct Faculty - Professor of Illustration and Graphic Design - in addition, part time office hours
- Illustration coordinator duties. 
Foundation and Advanced Illustration and Graphic Design courses
Courses I have taught: Package Design (including toy design), Design Composition, Basic Drawing, Anatomy & Figure Drawing, Color Theory, Traditional Paint Mediums (including monotype & linocut
demos), Illustration I & the History of American Illustration, Advertising Illustration, Editorial
Illustration, Traditional & Digital Techniques - (matte painting), Book Publishing Illustration I & II.

Shows and Art Exhibits:
Kendall Gallery Showcase, - 1984, Grand Rapids, MI
Museum of American Illustration, Society of Illustrators - 1984, NYC
Steelcase Annual Fine Arts Show and Exhibit- 1984-85, Detroit
National Stationery Show and Surtex, Designer/Exhibiter - 1986, NYC
Group Show, Visual Artists of Nashville - 1991
Athens Paper Co. “Show Off” Art Show and Exhibit - 1992, Nashville, TN
Nashville Creative Forum Illustrator Showcase, Marathon Village - 1995
Nashville Chamber of Commerce Information Center - 1998-2010, Nashville Arena
Directory of Illustration Showcase, print and online - 2001-2002
Nashville Creative Forum Illustrator Showcase - 2002
Bella Art Galleria - 2006-2009, Traverse City, MI
Communication Arts, Illustration Annual 45, Folioplanet - 2004
Sip of Seattle Coffee Bar and Music Cafe - 2003-2008, Nashville, TN
Vertical 2 nomination for Best of the Web Illustrations - 2010
SCBWI Mid-South Regional Conference Published Illustrators Showcase - 2010-2014
Joseloff Gallery, 6th Annual MFA Thesis Exhibition Show - 2012, Hartford, CT
Nossi College Gallery Showcase - 2012 - 2014, Nashville, TN
Society of Illustrators L.A. - Gallery Nucleus Exhibition - 2013
Gallery Nucleus Website - 2013
Morning Brew Village Gallery Showcase - 2012 - 2013, Nashville, TN
Key Alliance, Art Show and Auction to benefit Nashville homeless shelters - 2012
Masterpieces Art Show and ebay Auction for Autism Speaks, by invitation only, celebrities and select local artists - 2012, Nashville, TN
Mill Art Center & Gallery, juried digital show, Lean Forward - 2014, NY
Private Shows and Collections - 1986 - present

Memberships:
Illustrators Partnership of America, 2000 
Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators - PAL member, 2010 - present
The Nashville Creative - 2011 - present
Williamson County Arts Council, 2012 - 2014
Creative Forum of Nashville, 1990 - 2002

Interests: Art | Biking | Hiking | Teaching | Painting | Traveling | Family | Youth Volunteer
 
 
Awards and Recognition
Society of Illustrators Scholarship Award - 1984, NYC
Society of Illustrators Student Merit Award - 1984, NYC
Steelcase Annual Fine Arts Competition Merit Award - 1984-85, Detroit, MI
Addy Awards (Associated Design Services, Inc.,Traver & Associates) - 1985 and 1986, designs &
illustrations for Kellogg Co. and Upjohn Pharmaceutical Co.
1st place design TN specialty plate, selling top 3 out of the 10 highest selling plate
designs, New Life Resources and TN Dept. of Treasury - 2006-2015 
Society of Illustrators West 51 Merit Award - 2013
 
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