Kailani - sold

 

oil on canvas, 10"x8"

In this painting a beautiful dark haired girl is surrounded by and nearly merges with an abstracted background of vivid colors. The expressive, heavily textured impasto paint application was created by brushes and palette knife. The energetic background almost dominates but her gaze holds the focus. For some reason I couldn’t quite capture the blues in this painting, they are a deeper tone than they appear in the photos. 

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. Copyright does not transfer with the purchase of an original painting, print or other merchandise.

Girl with Finger Waves - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a portrait of a pale, blue eyed girl with finger waves in her golden hair. This portrait study ended up being oddly timeless, both retro and contemporary at the same time. The vivid, cherubic face and swan like neck have a Baroque, mannerist feel while her style is delicately minimal with a 1920's vibe. I like the bold strokes of the loosely painted lavender blue of the background.  

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. Copyright does not transfer with the purchase of an original painting, print or other merchandise.

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. 

Woman in a Garden - sold

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

This painting features a woman in long white gown in a rose garden. Inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, I love evocative figures within beautiful landscapes that celebrate the feminine and suggest a story. This is an impressionistic, richly textured painting with thick impasto strokes in the flowing gown and the flowers. Romantic and mysterious, she's in a world of her own.

I've always loved gardens and flower gardening, especially old-fashioned roses with their soft, abundant petals. I think their nostalgic appearance amplifies the timeless feeling I seek and I enjoyed combining my interests in this painting.

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