Artist Kathleen O'Brien | Kentucky Life | KET

Kathleen O'Brien works in an airy studio at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary near Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Mercer County. A 2012 recipient of an Al Smith Fellowship Award from the Kentucky Arts Council, she creates collages by mixing watercolors, drawings, and botanicals.

Inspired by Native American traditions, O'Brien tries to see beyond the surface, exploring the geometry—and the mystery—of the natural world. She incorporates natural materials like beeswax into her works, and even draws using walnut ink made from one of the trees on the property.

She has exhibited in galleries all over Kentucky. Her "Hermit Thrush Song," which fuses together two drawings and features forget-me-nots and musical notes, hangs in Kentucky first lady Jane Beshear's office in the state Capitol.