EARLY CALIFORNIA

Born in Ballintaylor, Ireland, John O'Shea was a landscape, figure, portrait and fantasy painter whose bold, vibrant work was regarded as relatively modern among his contemporaries. At age 16, O'Shea immigrated to New York City where he studied at the Adelphi Academy and the Art Students League and worked as an engraver at Tiffany & Company. In 1913, he moved to Pasadena, California for four years and then settled in the Monterey area and had studios in Carmel and Pebble Beach. He was President and Director of the Carmel Art Association. He traveled widely for subject matter: Tahiti, South Seas, Hawaii, Arizona, and Mexico, but especially painted the Monterey coast. With a Post-Impressionist style similar to Van Gogh, he painted primarily in oil but was skilled in watercolor and charcoal.