Growing up in the countryside of rural Maine, I had an idyllic, perfect childhood. Running barefoot in the green fields, playing hide and seek in our big red barn, picking sweet peas, and eating blueberry pie are fond memories I hold dear to this day. My artistic process begins with those simple, pure moments. I strive to conjure up the essence of those good memories and capture them through whimsey and color, all stitched together with a sense of humor and delight. I call the finished piece , "textile collage".

I began sewing as a girl, winning 4-H contests and making all of my clothes. In college, I designed fabrics, enjoying the created effect of color and texture combinations. Later, while our three sons were little and I was home with them, I began creating "scenes" and portraits of a family boat ride, a cow farm, or a seaside picnic. Those "scenes" were noticed by a gallery and that was the start of my art career.

O'Neil graduated from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, earning a BS degree in textile design. She is great-granddaughter to a lighthouse keeper, granddaughter to a farmer, daughter of an ardent seamstress, and mother to three sons., O'Neil's ties to her past are ever present. Her work has been featured and exhibited in galleries from the coast of Maine to midtown Manhattan to shops in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.