Mixed media

13" x 31" x 1"

Joell O'Malley recently relocated to Attleboro Falls, MA. She is an "upcycle artist" and uses found & recycled items in her work. Her glass mosaics are inspired by her love of the ocean and nature. Joell believes that her artwork is much like life, and that no matter how broken and messy it may be at first, with patience, time and love it can be transformed into something beautiful, one piece at a time. Joell is a 3rd generation Cape Codder. The mystery and folklore of the ocean have always fascinated Joell and therefore encouraged her to carry on the legacy of it, in her art. Local beach sand, pebbles, shells and other seaside treasures can be found in her art, as well as finds from afar. While she has no formal art education, she was exposed to art at an early age by her late grandmother Grace.  Some of her fondest memories are of combing the Cape Cod beach's as a child looking for treasures to make mirror art, and of drawing for hours while in her grandmother's care. While Joell loved art, it was not in her cards for schooling, and she went on to become a nurse and human service worker until a genetic disorder kept her from caring for others. To keep her mind from pain she began making art again. Smashing glass was a great relief, but putting it back together in a different configuration was a greater prize.