About Stephen O'Brien - (Scroll down to see the portraits)

Portrait artist Steve O'Brien initially connected with Jay Kenneth Johnson 'artist to artist' - writer to actor. While working on his first piece of fiction, Steve began to study actors and their craft. He found it helpful to gain an understanding of acting, because he, like many writers, envisions his characters 'performing' in his mind. An occasional Days of our Lives viewer since childhood, Steve began watching and observing Jay's craft during the summer and fall of 2001. "I gained so much, as a writer, from watching Jay perform," Steve maintains. "He's so natural, so real, in his emotions, I found that to be the best way to write. Stay with the character, stay 'in character' - as the writer - and let that characters run with the scene. Keep it real, keep it natural. Let the genuine emotions come out."

While new to fiction, Steve, a self-taught portrait artist, has been drawing since the 6th grade. "I've done literally hundreds of portrait over the years," Steve admits. "I tried to break into the field, without any professional training. Whatever it is I do, I developed, very slowly, on my own." After a few near-breaks, Steve abandoned drawing to pursue his real passion: writing. "It's what I've always wanted to do, since childhood. Write."

Wanting to share back with Jay, artist to artist, to thank Jay for inspiring him, to show his support and express his encouragement, Steve put pencil to paper for the first time in nearly four and a half years. "The first few of Jay weren't that good. I was a bit rusty. But I wanted to share back with him, as one artist to another. His talent blows me away. I watch him today, on North Shore, and continue to find myself amazed at what he can do, on how completely natural he is. I've gained so much as a writer, from watching Jay. I needed to do something in return, to share back with him. That's how it [i.e., the portraits] began."