Prince , acrylic on wood
lingering axmounts of radiation and lack of human occupation caused the local animal communities to thrive — especially the wolves . Not only is the gray wolf community large , but also the wolves themselves grow to abnormally large sizes due to the radiation . O ’ Donnell says , “ not to oversimplify it ”, but the two faces of the wolves are meant to represent the friend versus foe mentality . Time will be the only indicator of Russia ’ s true face towards America .
Often in O ’ Donnell ’ s work , you can fi nd wild animals related to dogs or house cats . In her
David , acrylic on wood
series of paintings of famous celebrities who have passed away , she balances these works by adding an endangered animal from the feline or canine families . Shapes that cover the subject ’ s eyes tie all the pieces together . David Bowie ’ s death changed the way we , as a whole , experienced grief . And then , just a few months after his death , another revolutionary musician and progressive icon , Prince , died . With the events that happened locally in Orlando , and all over the world in 2016 , grief became a community experience . “ With the grief that we have about celebrities and their death , it is not just about the individual
dying — I think that there is more grief about what is happening to the world in general .” These celebrities ’ deaths changed the way the world experienced sadness . Pairing them with endangered animals creates a subtle yet powerful message . “ We might not be crying over this little frog that went extinct , but we know that things aren ’ t right ,” O ’ Donnell explains . A whole community of animals dying off often happens so gradually and quietly that most people don ’ t even notice until it is too late . Through her display of these animals with iconic fi gures , she creates awareness for these creatures . The viewer is left to de-
Red Wolf , acrylic on wood Asian Lion , acrylic on wood
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