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Seamus Liam O'Brien Studios

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A weekly blog of what's going on in the studio; interests, tastes, and general hullabaloo.

Guy with sunglasses holding a painting of a wolf with a yellow rubber duck on its head in front of a Goodwill Thrift Store.

Artist Seamus Liam O’Brien holding the finished wolf/rubber duck painting in front of Goodwill Thrift Store.

Thrift Store Painting Collaboration Continues - Upcycling an unknown wolf painting

February 22, 2026

I purchased a painting at a yard sale on the corner of Oxford St and Saint Clair Ave. in St Paul, MN. The painting features a large, gray wolf staring at the viewer from the center/right in front of a shadowy forest. There is no date or artist’s signature on the work. 19 3/4” x 13 3/4”

Original price: $2.00

The picture reminded me that you see a lot of wolf imagery in middle America, but I’m not sure why. What’s with this wolf thing? So I asked AI about the cultural attraction for wolf art, and this is its response: “The affinity for wolf art stems from a deep, historical, and spiritual connection to the animal as a symbol of loyalty, strength, and family. It reflects both indigenous, nature-oriented values, and a rugged, independent, rural, or ‘wilderness’ identity that resonates with the region’s cultural history and landscape.”

I painted a rubber duck wearing pink sunglasses and holding a martini glass on the wolf’s head and donated this “new” artwork to Goodwill Thrift Store (2500 Cleveland Ave N. Roseville, MN) on February 21, 2026, around 2:30pm.

A successful collaboration! Thank you unknown wolf painter for your contribution to the piece!!

You can check out more RUBBER DUCK ARTWORK HERE!


Painting of a gray wolf in front of a shadowy forest.

The original wolf painting that I purchased at a garage sale.

Painting of a large, gray wolf staring at the viewer with a yellow rubber duck on its head.

I painted a yellow rubber duck wearing pink sunglasses and holding a pink martini glass on the wolf’s head.

Painting of a yellow rubber duck wearing large pink sunglasses and holding a pink martini glass on top of a wolf's head

Detail of the rubber duck on the wolf’s head..

Detail of the artist's signature on a painting.

Detail - artist’s signature located on the bottom right.

Yellow rubber duck toy that is wearing large pink sunglasses sitting on top of a paint bottle on a table.

The toy rubber duck I used as the model for this painting.

A variety of paintings and artwork stacked on a shelf

The artwork was placed on a shelf at the Goodwill Thrift Store in Roseville, MN.

Video showing me walking into the thrift store and dropping off the artwork.

In Fine Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Painting, rubber duck art, MN Tags art, artist, paint, painting, painted, painter, rubber duck, ducky, duckey, rubberduck, rubberducky, thrift, thrift store, thriftstore, Goodwill, Roseville, MN, Mpls, minneapolis, minnesota, upcycling, yellow, gray wolf, Twin Cities, hidden treasures, hidden treasure, Seamus, Liam, O'Brien, OBrien, seamusliamobrien, pink sunglasses, pink martini glass, graywolf, grey, thewonderfulworldof, thrifting, thriftart, pink martini, toy
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