Michael O’KellyFine Art & Public Art · Ventura, California

Commissions · Ventura, California

Start a conversation

Every commission begins the same way: a conversation about the place, the people in it and what the wall should say. Then a drawing.

Murals, fountains, building facades and memorials — for civic, commercial and private clients throughout California. Tell Michael a little about your project and he’ll get back to you.

Send an enquiry ↓ Call 805.701.4488 Email mokart50@gmail.com
Michael O'Kelly bent over a full-size pen-and-ink mural drawing, marker in hand. The finished Las Palmas mural in hand-glazed tile.

What Michael makes

From a single plaque to a fifty-foot wall

Public muralsHistory, told in tile Lobbies & interiorsPublic-private art Building facadesNew work & restoration FountainsPools, basins, wall fountains Plaques & memorialsDedications, signs

Also: stair risers, wainscoting, running architectural patterns, pool and fountain liners, and tile for historic restorations.

How a commission works

Five steps, from hello to the last tile

Michael O'Kelly's colour rendering of the Animal Kingdom Fountain, the drawing that was approved before any tile was made.
You see it before it’s made. The approved colour drawing for the Animal Kingdom Fountain at Santa Barbara Zoo.

  1. A conversation

    About the building or garden, the people it’s for, and what the work should say. No obligation.

  2. Research

    Archives, museums, photographs — whatever the subject needs. For the Ventura mural, a historian’s list of every person and building.

  3. The drawing

    A colour rendering for you to approve, and for any city or historic commission that needs to see it.

  4. Glazing and firing

    Drawn full size, then made in hand-glazed cuerda seca tile, fired to last in sun and water.

  5. Installation

    Set tile by tile, on site, usually by a small team working with Michael.

Enquire

Tell Michael about your project

Just your name, email and a few words. Rough ideas are welcome — that’s what the first conversation is for. Or pick up the phone and call Michael.

Your details go only to Michael, and are used only to reply to you.

In clients’ words

What it’s like to work with him

“The professionalism of it, but also the custom aspect. He works with you to customise the type of thing you might want for yourself.”

“If it were not for you and Peter there would be no fountain. It truly is a work of art.”

“Michael’s craftsmanship is a rare gift to our community.”

Mayor Christy Weir, Ventura, 2009

Questions

Questions people ask

What does a commission cost?

Every piece is designed from scratch, so it depends on size, detail and site. Michael will give you a figure after the first conversation.

How long does it take?

A small plaque can take weeks; a large public mural can take a year or more from first drawing to installation.

Do you work outside Ventura?

Yes — Michael’s work is across California, from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, and beyond.

Will it last outdoors, or in water?

Yes. The tiles are high-fired, with the colour fused into the surface in the kiln — which is why Michael uses them for fountains and outdoor walls.

Can the work include our own story — people, pets, places?

That’s the point. Las Palmas carries its owner’s dog and his wife’s name; the Ventura mural carries the faces of the people who paid for it.