From Shawn O’Rourke
Art, Paintings, and Poetry
My art and poems are about reflection and self-realization. For me, creating is not about style, technique, or being accomplished. Creating is a communication method that brings what is within to the surface. Art and poetry give me the opportunity for understanding and personal growth. I present my creations here so that they may be helpful to others. For example, in the pencil drawing, ‘Hot under the Collar,’ we see that anger doesn’t only burn others, but burns ourselves as well. The pencil drawing, ‘Obsession,’ represents a strong and overwhelming desire that is like a snake strangling our heart. I hope you find my art and poems thought-provoking and insightful.


“In the state of observation/seeing there is no duality, no identifying thoughts; there is just the calm state of awareness, spacious and peaceful. This is the art of meditation, the Zen of seeing.”
-Bhante Kovida (The World is Myself – A Monk’s Travel Journal Part 1)
Paintings & Art

Open (2015)
oil on canvas
Peephole (2007)
oil on canvas
Travelling Inward (2007)
acrylic on canvas
Anxiety (2006)
pencil on paper
Reaching (2004)
pencil on paper
Self Portrait (1998)
pencil on paper
Interconnected (2024)
oil on canvas
Closed (2006)
pencil on paper
Defense (2006)
pencil on paper
Alone (1992)
oil on canvas
Hot Under the Collar (2006)
pencil on paper
My Grandpa's Barn (1978)
marker on felt
My Old Friend (1998)
pencil on paper
Obsession (2012)
pencil on paper
Pressure (2006)
pencil on paper
Snake Plant Bloom (2011)
pencil on paper
“A trained mind brings much ease to one’s life. One must learn to tame the mind as did great personages, like the Buddha. One is able to organize one’s mind through one’s own effort.”
-Bhante Pinnagoda Rahula (The Nature of the Mind)




































