Handmade in Hall County: Leigh-Anne Gross O'Brien Art

In nature, each oyster shell is unique and different, which is exactly why local artist Leigh-Ann Gross O’Brien began painting them two years ago.
“I think is was August 2015 and we were down in Ponte Vedra and we were looking for sharks teeth and my son found the first one. It was wet from the ocean and it looked so iridescent and pretty and such a unique shape, so I went back to the hotel and started painting it,” she said. “Each one is so unique and I’ve enjoyed that subject matter.”
Leigh-Anne was born and raised in Gainesville and attended the University of Georgia, she graduated, Cum Laude, in 2007 with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Sculpture.
“Hopefully, once my children get a little older I can refocus on sculpture but for now the chainsaws are not as kid friendly as a paint brush.”
After living in London for three and a half years, Leigh-Anne and her family migrated back to the South.
“I have three children, Cameron is 6, Lucy is 4 and Alice is 1. My husband (Neil) is from London and we started our married life there. Both Cameron and Lucy were born there and we always knew we would try both spots out, as far as what was best suited for our family and Gainesville has proved to be a more outdoorsy, a better family environment to raise our kids,” she said.
Leigh-Anne is active in the local art community and is a member of the the Vision 2030 Public Art Committee.
“We are definitely trying to make Gainesville and Hall County an art hub,” she said. “I feel like it’s on the rise and there’s a great group of art supporters in and around Hall County; I love the folk art that you can find in North Georgia and also the Quinlan has great exhibits. I think we are really lucky with the amount of art at our fingertips.”