Patrick O’Brien

Patrick O’Brien is the President of the American Society of Marine Artists, where he has been a member since 2004. He is an award-winning artist whose striking paintings of the classic age of fighting sail and the New York Waterfront garnered him acclaim in the field. O’Brien  does exhaustive historical and nautical research to ensure that his paintings are as accurate as possible Patrick O'Brien has been a full-time professional artist and illustrator since the mid-1980s. His art has appeared in magazines and newspapers, on posters and greeting cards, and even on billboards. Early on in his painting career, his first entry to the prestigious Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition won an Award of Excellence. In 2020 Patrick was selected for the Outstanding Service Award by the American Society of Marine Artists.  In 2010 and 2013, he won Mystic’s Museum Purchase Award, which means that Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut bought his painting for its permanent collection. In 2012, the National Maritime Historical Society awarded O’Brien with their Distinguished Service Award.

Patrick has had one-man-shows of his artwork in New York City, Annapolis, MD and Portsmouth VA. In 2010 the U.S. Naval Academy Museum mounted a retrospective exhibition entitled “The Maritime Art of Patrick O’Brien,” featuring twenty-eight paintings by the artist. O’Brien’s paintings have been featured several times on the cover of Naval History magazine, published by the U.S. Naval Institute, and several times on the cover of Sea History magazine, published by the National Maritime Historical Society, which also recently included an extensive article on Mr. O'Brien's Naval paintings.  Patrick was commissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard to create three paintings of U.S. Revenue Cutters to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Patrick has been commissioned by Exxon Mobile several times to depict newly-built supertankers. He also was commissioned to create two large scale paintings for the Gaylord National Resort Hotel near Washington, D.C. These magnificent paintings are 10 feet wide by 5 feet high, and hang in their main lobby. He worked for clients such as the Smithsonian Museum, Lockheed Martin, National Geographic, The Discovery Channel and the Mexican Navy. His art has appeared in magazines and newspapers, on posters and greeting cards, and even on billboards.  Patrick is also the author and illustrator of fourteen children's books. These are mostly non-fiction books about things like knights, pirates, ships, and dinosaurs.

O’Brien has participated in many national and international exhibitions including the Royal Society of Marine Artists, London, England; “The Maritime History of the United States” exhibition at The Pentagon, Arlington, VA; American Society of Marine Artists Traveling Exhibition: New York Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY, Minnesota Maritime Art Musuem, Winona, MN, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michael’s, MD; and the Schaefer International Marine Art Exhibition, Newport, RI.

O'Brien's paintings have been used on the covers of several books, and he has written and illustrated fourteen children's books.

 Exhibitions/Awards:

2020 Outstanding Service Award from the American Society of Marine Artists

2013 Museum Purchase Award from the Mystic Seaport Museum

2013 Award of Excellence, Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition

2012 Distinguished Service Award, The National Maritime Historical Society

2010 Distinguished Service Award from The National Maritime Historical Society

2010 Museum Purchase Award, Mystic Seaport Museum

2003 Award of Excellence Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition

The Civil War at Sea Solo-Exhibition

The U. S. Naval Academy Museum Solo-Exhibition

The Annapolis Marine Art Gallery Solo-Exhibition

The Union League Club, New York Group Show

Modern Marine Masters at Mystic Seaport Group Show

The Annual Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition 

The US Coast Guard Group Show

The National Press Club Group Show

 Publications/Television:

The New York Times

Sea History Magazine

Naval History Magazine

The Artist’s Magazine

The History Channel

(see Patrick’s ART TALK here)