SAM Talks: In the Studio with Fran O'Neill

In this episode of In the Studio, SAM Curator – Exhibitions & Collections, Caroline Esbenshade, visits artist Fran O’Neill at her home and studio.

Surrounded by the landscape that informs the light, movement and atmosphere of her work, O’Neill reflects on her journey as a painter, from growing up in Wangaratta and studying in Melbourne, to a seven-week painting course in New York that became a twenty-year chapter of her life.

O’Neill shares how wiping paint from a canvas led her towards the fluid, physical mark-making that now defines her practice. She speaks about building layers, chasing luminosity, responding intuitively to the surface, and embracing the moments when a painting gets “into trouble.”

Recorded in the artist’s studio, this conversation explores colour as a relationship, the importance of risk and experimentation, and the determination required to continue making work in the face of criticism and self-doubt. O’Neill also reflects on the joy of looking slowly, inviting audiences to approach painting with a sense of play, wonder and childlike curiosity.

Fran O’Neill: On The Move is currently on display at SAM until 9 August. 

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About SAM:

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is located on Yorta Yorta Country, Shepparton, Victoria.
As a leading Australian regional art museum, SAM showcases its exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways to create a welcoming, inclusive, and engaging space for all visitors.

Recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection and nationally significant collection of Indigenous art, SAM’s programming is designed to be locally relevant and engages with global contemporary ideas. Through its exhibitions, collection, programs and events, SAM creates a place where art helps us to better understand the ancient culture of this country and contemporary multicultural Australia.