Artist: Deirdre O'Connell

Deirdre O'Connell's current series of small paintings are inspired by works by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Characters from Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya and Cherry Orchard come wondrously alive in O'Connell's mixed media creations, formed with paint, glitter, bits of text and memorabilia. Rich with textile patterns, collaged or painted, the artist builds layer upon layer and finishes each work with a glaze. O'Connell moves her characters from stage to the canvas, giving them an eternal role in a perpetual performance.

O'Connell's passion for Chekhov's text is more than that of an avid playgoer. A stage and film actress for more than 25 years, she has appeared in many Chekhov productions, most recently playing Liubov Ranyevskaya in Cherry Orchard. "Chekhov's work is rich and complicated and he tells such vivid stories," she says. "Each time I come back to a Chekhov role, the part changes profoundly for me. This is because I have changed, but also because he wrote so many great, complex women."

O'Connell begins each piece sparked by a particular scene or line of dialogue. From this spark, she imagines an extension of the scene, exploring an event or relationship that particularly affected her. O'Connell's figures are consummate actors in their own right, remaining always in character. Her work is truly the marriage of acting and visual arts.

Small in scale-many of them 10 x 10 inches or smaller-O'Connell's paintings evoke Medieval icons with their golden hues, built up paint, flat perspective and deliberately distorted anatomy, "I have always loved Medieval art and have a particular interest in Italian paintings that use the Bible as a template," she says. "At the moment, I am mining Chekhov in this way, seeking to convey bits of his stories through paint.

"While I love both acting and art, I find with acting that a work is never totally complete, even when I perform it. There is always a loose end to tie up, a character to flesh out," says O'Connell. "As an actor, I depend on others around me, actors, directors, production staff. With art, it's just me. I can decide when a work is complete and ready to show."

O'Connell was born in Philadelphia and raised in Pittsfield, MA. She is a self-trained artist, who spent a brief stint at the Studio School, NYC in 2003. She has exhibited her work at the Gallery at Jimmy's Number 43, NYC, and the Broderick Fine Art Gallery, Freehold, NY. This is her first exhibition with SEFA.