Nude with Lace and Flowers - sold

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

This is a painting of a beautiful nude woman draped in a sheer lace shawl, holding a small floral bouquet in her hand. She is standing by a window gazing out with natural light pouring across her figure. With her long dark hair and slightly mysterious aura she evokes a timeless femininity and nostalgic elegance. There is a lush, romantic quality to this painting reminiscent of Auguste Renoir's nude figures. I used textured impasto strokes to define highlighted areas, particularly in the flowers, and there is great depth and richness throughout this painting.

Buy on Etsy

Nude with Calla Lilies - sold

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

This is a painting of a beautiful nude woman standing in a lace-draped interior cradling stems of calla lilies in her arms. She evokes a nostalgic, 1920s feel with her finger-waved red hair and delicate profile. She is sultry yet graceful, reminiscent of a Ziegfeld girl in her dressing room enjoying flowers from an admirer. I like the dreamy, romantic feeling of this scene and the unusual tints of green and lavender created in her skin by the moody light. I kept the edges very soft and the background is especially suggested and impressionistic. There is a timeless feeling to this painting and it has an unusual tonalist atmosphere.

Portrait of a Ziegfeld Girl - sold

Oil on canvas 14"x11"

This is a portrait of Mary Nolan, a stage and film actress, singer and dancer who began her career as a popular Ziegfeld Girl in the 1920's. A luminous beauty who had a tumultuous life, I was inspired by her expressive face to create this painting in my version of the dramatic Hollywood illustrations and portrait style of the era. Based loosely on a black and white photo, I created a painterly background of deep peacock blue to offset her golden tones. She is soft and delicate but I am also pleased to have kept the brushwork loose and spontaneous throughout this painting. There is a haunting, soulful quality to this lovely lady that transcends time.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Searching - sold

Graphite on paper, 14"x11"

This is a portrait study of a beautiful young man with a distant gaze. This is a larger drawing for a more evocative character study, executed in a combination of graphite powder and pencils for a moody feeling. I used a heavyweight Bristol board that could stand up to a lot of blending.

Buy on Etsy

Awaiting the Tryst - sold

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

In this painting a pale woman gracefully lounges in an elegant gown of peacock blue upon a green and gilt sofa in a deep turquoise room. She glows within the luxurious jewel tones of her surroundings.  I've been interested lately in creating a story and evoking the atmosphere of times past. She is a dramatic, romantic figure, lost in reverie...perhaps an aristocratic lady awaiting her lover. I expressed this mood with soft edges and appropriately painterly and loose strokes.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Portrait of an Edwardian Lady - sold

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

In this painting I wanted to evoke a fin-de-siècle mood. A willowy red haired lady in an elegant black dress creates a dramatic figure within a golden Parisian style interior. She reminds me of a character in a Henry James novel, or many of John Singer Sargent's portrait subjects...a beautiful young woman with a hint of mystery and turbulence beneath her composed exterior. While painted with loose, impressionistic brushstrokes, I enjoyed evoking details such as the rope of pearls and the charming cabriole leg salon chair in the background. 

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Rooftops in Passy

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

This painting is a view of Parisian rooftops in the elegant neighborhood of Passy in the 16th arrondisement. In this painting I wanted to capture the exquisite details of these Beaux-Arts buildings with an impressionistic feeling. I painted this on a reddish ground which I allowed to peek through and between painterly brushstrokes creating a warm glow and unifying tone between the buildings and sky. I was very pleased to achieve great impasto textures in the clouds.

I adore the visual feast which is Paris with its distinctive historic architecture and atmosphere. While painting this I imagined all the gorgeous apartments contained within these buildings with their quintessential mansard roofs and balconies. I was inspired by all the Impressionist painters but in particular Gustave Caillebotte whose wonderful cityscapes captured the energy and architecture of his era. I've always been a fan of Caillebotte and I previously painted an homage to his great work "Paris Street, Rainy Afternoon" which can be seen here.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Young Man With Dark Eyes - sold

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

This is a larger painting than I have offered before, painted over several months in many layers of glaze and impasto. The background of intense blue complements and subtly vibrates against and within the warm flesh tones. I kept the brushwork loose and free. I wanted to do a deeper exploration of character in this portrait/figurative painting of a beautiful dark haired young man. His eyes are riveting, that deep, liquid shade of brown that reflects light sharply. I like the self-protective gesture of his arm across his chest. He gazes at the viewer directly but remains just out of reach, a mystery.