Vincent O'Brien was born in New York City in 1919. He earned a degree from the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York followed by studies with Jean Charlot at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. O'Brien taught painting, drawing and sculpture and lectured in art at Colorado College. A solo exhibition of his work was held of his paintings at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 1950. While living in Paris in the early 1950s, O'Brien developed a love for stained glass and went on to devote much of his career to the art form. He and his wife and fellow artist, Ellen, returned to Colorado Springs in the late 1950s. Vince O'Brien's stained glass can be found in over 25 churches in Colorado and, in 1977, he published the book, "Techniques of Stained Glass".