Sylvan O’Reilly- Visionary Psychedelic Artist

In our search for an artist to design upcoming FleshCap Blotter Sheets, we stumbled upon visionary psychedelic artist Sylvan O’Reilly. His work is that of a person who has gone deep into the realm of the spirit. We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce Sylvan to the rest of the family.

FleshCap: Tell us a few words about yourself. Who are you? What country do you reside in? Why do you produce art? How did you get into psychedelic art?

Sylvan: Greetings, my name is Sylvan O’Reilly. I’ve been around the sun 23 times and am currently residing in Auckland, New Zealand. I am a freelance artist and graphic designer, Aside from commissions for commercial design, my personal art is focused on exploration of the mind.

I delve into psychedelic, visionary and spiritual realms. My work is detailed and textured. I am interested in going beyond the superficial.  I produce art for the sheer love of creating the work. The freedom to express my vision and the infinite possibilities of the creative process constantly inspires me. There is also a therapeutic and meditative quality that manifests itself while I am immersed in a work.

Ancient Mind Rainbow experienced by visionary psychedelic artist Sylvan O'Reilly.

I call this image “Ancient Mind Rainbow.” The title really describes this work. The patterns and shapes had a ancient feel but not reminiscent of anything I had seen before, very complex and constantly changing. This state had great depth and it was as though I was traveling through the intricate imprints of my brain. Immersed in incredibly beautiful colours, remarkably vibrant, colours within colours, covering the entire spectrum. This realm seemed to be moving with a steady kaleidoscopic pulse.

The connection the viewer establishes with my work is very important to me because it never fails to amaze me how diverse the responses are.

My first psychedelic experience opened my mind to a whole new way of seeing. It ignited a spark of creativity in me. For the first time I understood that I was a part of everything rather than separate from it. With this realization I felt a responsibility to make a contribution.

The experience revealed to me invisible worlds inside and outside of myself. I was flooded with tremendous amounts of new information, and being 17 years old at the time, I took quite a while to fully come to terms with these new understandings. It felt like my eyes were open for the first time in my life. Over time, themes and motifs manifested themselves in the artwork. I now view my art as a journal of my personal evolution.

"Cosmic Creativity" by Sylvan O'Reilly

“Cosmic Creativity” is a freeform improvisational piece. As the work develops, I try to integrate internal and external realities. This notion is depicted by the cascade of ideas coming from my head. I encourage the viewer to immerse themselves in the work. The piece is content rich, with too much material to absorb in a single viewing. I recommend a  gradual exploration to get some sense of how the process works for me.

FleshCap: I assume that much of your art is influenced by the “psychedelic experience”. What have these experiences taught you about life?

Sylvan: The psychedelic experience changed my perspective on life. My thinking took on a deeper, more expansive and possibly more introspective character. It gave me an expanded awareness and seemed to awaken my spirit and my dormant creativity. I began to really see and appreciate the beauty of nature.

I truly believe that a transformation such as I experienced would benefit most people and provide them with a massive appreciation of life, better self analysis,
greater feelings of love and the possibility of true self realization.

FleshCap: What other information do you want people to know about you? (If you feel comfortable sharing some of your “experiences” please do.

Because of the sense of connection I now feel with the world, I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with like minded artists. Anyone out there interested in working together or sharing information please contact me through my email.

Connect with Sylvan O’Reilly

• Online Gallery:  Astral Haze-DeviantArt.com
• Sacred Mushroom Mandala by Sylvan O’Reilly
• Email: astral-visions@hotmail.com