A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T
THE STROKE OF A Hatteras Island artist Randi O’Sullivan captures a world of color on the canvas
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Brus Photos by Ryan Moser Story by Fran Marler
here are moments in time A path that’s led her to the Outer Banks. that have an effect like First, however, she returned to Baltimore no other. An explosion of from Wilmington, where she found that the colors – cobalt, an array community wasn’t as welcoming of new artists of pinks, purples and gold as she would have liked. After talking it over dance along the horizon, with her then-boyfriend (now husband), Blake, beckoning skyward to what lies beyond – a they decided that their next move would either sort of stillness that offers an embrace like the be to the mountains or the beach. comfort of an old family quilt. And so it literally came down to a coin toss. “This is the golden hour,” 32-year-old One side was Asheville, N.C., the other, the Hatteras Island artist Randi O’Sullivan says Outer Banks. of the period of time that occurs just before The Outer Banks won. sunset. “And it’s my favorite part of the day.” “When we moved here in the dead of Intricately patterned and colorful mandalas have long been part of Randi Known by many as a self-described winter from Baltimore in 2012, I literally had no O’Sullivan’s oeuvre (above). Randi at home on Hatteras Island (right). “mermaid with a paintbrush” (the local post plan,” she says good-naturedly. “So I thought office workers like to joke that they rarely see that since I had nothing else to lose, what her without a brush tucked absentmindedly better time to give being a fulltime artist a behind her ear), Randi has made it her life’s shot?” work to take those moments and translate that experience into a passionate array of With nature and the ocean at her fingertips, Randi quickly found herself embracing images that are firmly rooted in her life here on the Outer Banks. an endless source of inspiration. “I’ve always been into super vivid, saturated colors,” she says about her distinctive “Being here, as opposed to a bustling city, has allowed me the time to really slow (and often instinctive) artwork, which tends to feature bold hues and striking patterns. down,” Randi says. “I enjoy experimenting with a variety of mediums, but I find that I “Sometimes it seems as though the color just oozes out of me!” mostly work with acrylics. The main point, in the end, is just to get it out of my system From being a part of the artistic honor society at her high school in Baltimore to and onto something.” studying art education at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, Randi has And she’s done exactly that. With seascapes that draw one’s gaze immediately into a been honing her eye for as long as she can remember. “During my college days I painted kaleidoscope of rich colors, along with a growing number of creations that include sea anything I could get my hands on,” she explains with a laugh. “Cardboard, beer boxes, creatures, native flowers such as jobells, mermaids and Buddhist-inspired mandalas, it you name it. I even hung and sold a few along the way.” didn’t take long for Randi’s art to gain a following. With an artistic father who uses a chain saw to carve tikis and is also equally adept at “The process hasn’t been without its challenges though,” Randi says thoughtfully. creating delicate sterling silver jewelry, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Randi has allowed During her early days on the island, she wanted to create and sell only originally crafted her creative drive to take the front seat and trust the path she’s on. pieces – but while that’s a noble concept, it isn’t necessarily the easiest strategy to pull
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