However, life took her in another direction. O’Meara went on to attend the Medical College of Georgia, now part of Augusta University, where she earned her MD and built a career in Emergency Medicine. Only after retiring from medicine did she return to her artistic passion with renewed focus.

Now, with the freedom to fully explore her creativity, O’Meara has embraced ceramics as both a craft and a personal practice, allowing her to reconnect with the artistic path she began years ago.

O’Meara’s work is rooted in functional ceramics, but her approach emphasizes individuality and subtle design. She is particularly drawn to the simplicity of forms associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, using those clean shapes as a foundation for surface decoration and texture.

Nature plays a central role in inspiring her work. Colors, patterns, and textures found outdoors often spark ideas for glazes and finishes. Sometimes it is a color combination glimpsed in nature that inspires a new piece or series.

At its core, O’Meara’s goal is simple. She aims to create objects that bring beauty and calm into daily life. Whether it is a morning coffee mug or a carefully crafted platter, she hopes each piece provides a moment of pause and appreciation in a busy world.

O’Meara’s process often begins without a fully formed idea. Instead, she allows experimentation and exploration to guide the work. Sometimes she starts with a new glaze combination she wants to test, shaping a form that will highlight how the glazes interact. Other times, she develops a family or series of related pieces that evolve as she works.

Like many ceramicists, O’Meara says her most important tool is surprisingly simple: her hands. While pottery wheels, kilns, and other tools are essential, much of the work is guided by touch and experience.

Ceramics is also deeply time dependent. Each stage of the process, from shaping to trimming to firing, relies on the precise dryness of the clay. This rhythm encourages patience and attentiveness, qualities that O’Meara embraces in her practice.

She also emphasizes the importance of technical skill. Mastering the fundamentals of a medium, she believes, opens up more possibilities for creativity and experimentation.

O’Meara continues to develop her ceramics practice through the Lifelong Learner Program at Augusta University, where she has access to studio facilities and a creative community. Being part of the local arts scene has also helped her form meaningful relationships with fellow artists, patrons, and supporters.

These connections have played a key role in her continued growth and exposure. Her work has been recognized through inclusion in several exhibitions, including the renowned ArtFields in South Carolina, where she has participated twice, as well as shows at Atlantic Gallery in New York City and the Masur Museum of Art in Louisiana.

Locally, she is especially proud of the duo exhibition “Parallel Vessels” at Candl Fine Art, where her ceramics were displayed alongside sculptor Kathy Engler’s work. The exhibition brought together two distinct artistic voices while highlighting the shared language of form and material.

When asked what advice she would give to emerging artists, O’Meara is candid about the realities of pursuing an art career. She emphasizes the importance of investing the time required to develop strong work and reminds artists not to settle for mediocrity.

She also notes that building a creative practice requires more than making art. Artists must consider the practical side of the profession, including finances, marketing, shipping, bookkeeping, and maintaining a public presence. Like any business, she says, an art practice requires planning, organization, and working capital.

Rejection, she explains, is also part of the process. Even when work meets the criteria for a call for entry, artists may still be turned down. For O’Meara, persistence and resilience are essential.

One of her most important suggestions is to get involved in the local arts community. Arts organizations offer valuable resources and opportunities to connect with patrons, collectors, and other artists.

O’Meara continues to submit work to national exhibitions and galleries as she grows her artistic practice. She also accepts and considers commissioned pieces, offering collectors the opportunity to collaborate on unique ceramic works.

Through her art, O’Meara hopes viewers and users alike experience a sense of beauty and calm, and perhaps a deeper connection to nature.

Her journey also carries a powerful message. It is never too late to learn something new. As she often reflects, continuous learning is one of the keys to staying engaged, curious, and creatively alive.