Rae O'Shea was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She began drawing and painting at an early age and was known to use every available surface including her bedroom walls. When she attended college she had every intention of majoring in art but the emphasis on abstract art that had invaded most college classrooms convinced her that what she wanted to learn would be better accomplished on her own. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a double major in European History and English Literature. Home on summer break, she met Alan O'Shea the night before he left for Southeast Asia for duty in the Vietnam War and they spent the evening talking. After corresponding for a year, they married upon his return, and moved to Homestead Florida where he was stationed in the Florida Keys. Rae held many different jobs as she moved to various states while her husband completed his education. She participated in art festivals and exhibits when time permitted. They returned to New Jersey where their children Katherine, Susan and Patrick were born. The demands on her time did not allow for a full time commitment to painting but she spent many years producing decorative furniture, wall murals and decorative sign boards. The furniture was painted with landscapes worthy of canvas and it was only a matter of time before the desire to paint became so strong that a full time commitment to painting was inevitable.

In the summer of 2001, Rae purchased a French easel, oil paints, canvas and brushes and spent a week at a workshop in the artist colony of Rockport, Ma., with nationally known artist, Stapleton Kearns. Painting outdoors with an impressionist painter was a revelation. It also meant dealing with a series of challenges - dealing with an unfamiliar medium, insects, curious people and wildlife, weather conditions ranging from extreme heat to strong winds, rocky terrain, long hikes carrying all of her painting paraphernalia, and a lack of access to food and other amenities. None of these inconveniences mattered enough to interfere with the sheer enjoyment of painting the sea and landscapes around her. Stapleton urged her to return home and find venues to sell her work.

In 2003 Rae began entering juried art shows and exhibiting in local galleries. She won an award in the first juried show she entered. Since then she has exhibited in numerous galleries and shows on the east coast. Recently she has been accepted in national shows which take place all over the country. Her work is in private collections throughout the United States, Japan, and Great Britain.

She is a member of the Plein Air Painters of the Jersey Coast, Oil Painters of America, The American Impressionist Society, the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, the Allied Artists of America, The Somerset Art Society, the Edison Art Society and the South Brunswick Art Association.

 

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