Deep Gaze - sold

 

oil on canvas, 16"x12"

In this painting a handsome dark haired man is viewed at a window, partially obscured by a sheer curtain. He is bathed in natural light, standing out from the shadowy interior. I love evoking a person in deep in thought, perhaps contemplating his life. There is a moody, subdued tone to this painting. The brushstrokes are liquid, distinct and loose.

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

Luminous - sold

oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait of a handsome man in strong light. I wanted to evoke the glow of skin bathed in light in this spontaneous study. I kept the brushwork broken and sketchy in this one. It still ended up looking quite realistic but with much of the loose initial brush strokes remaining. I love the soft edges and glowing light I accomplished in this one. 

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

 

A Distant Memory - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This portrait is a study of a handsome dark haired man painted in a restrained, subtle palette. I wanted to evoke a soft haze as though viewing the subject through the distance of time.

The background was created by layering transparent glazes which created an effect reminiscent of weathered and faded denim with a very glossy surface. It's an unusual, textured surface without being too dominant. 

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

Mesmerize - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a portrait of a handsome man with dark hair and pale blue eyes in strong chiaroscuro lighting. I am pleased with the expressive looseness I achieved in the brushstrokes while capturing details like the dazzling light in the eye. It's a very electric, lifelike portrait that makes you wonder exactly what is on his mind.

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

Can't Look Away - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a painting of a man leaning with his head back against a wall looking relaxed, perhaps a little exhausted.  I am pleased with the expressive looseness of the brushstrokes while capturing beautiful features like his mesmerizing blue eyes. It's a very tactile, lifelike portrait. 

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Morning Mood - sold

Oil on Canvas, 16"x12"

In this painting a beautiful woman sips a cup of coffee after what looks like a rough night. I kept it very loose and had fun with the brushstrokes and a palette knife, creating lively textures and thick impasto. The background is abstracted and expressionistic with moody, turbulent shades of blue and gray contrasting with warm skin tones. I like the active surface quality and depth of this one. 

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Shadowy

Charcoal and white pastel on paper, 12"x9"

This drawing is a charcoal portrait study of a man in moody lighting. The deep shadows place a strong emphasis on the sculptural qualities of the face, especially the sensual mouth. I kept the drawing touch soft and suggestive even while it has very bold, dark tones. I like the dramatic and mysterious look of this one.

In between painting larger and more complex oil paintings I'm finding monochromatic drawings on paper to be a refreshing change. It's relaxing to be able to focus on value and form in a simpler way even while something of a challenge to be without the handy tools of warm/cool hues to create depth.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Cesar in Pensive Mood - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This portrait of a handsome man conveys what fascinates me...the physical sense of a person and also the expression of an inner life. There's a feeling of energy in the contours of his muscular upper body and a palpable warmth in the glow of his skin. I like the turn of his head in opposition to his body as he stands in a honey colored light casting a cool blue shadow on the wall behind him. 

I focused on loose brushwork, keeping the edges soft and I used impasto in the highlights. I'm happy that my strokes here convey the energy of painting. 

Buy on Etsy

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.

Buy on Etsy

Study of a Young Man - sold

Oil on canvas 12"x9"

This portrait of a young man is perhaps the most alive and tactile of the male portrait studies I've done thus far. I'm pleased to have captured something rather elusive...a thoughtful and complex quality in this beautiful face. This one is a little larger than my usual head studies and there's a strong feeling of immediacy and an electric presence.

I focused on loose brushwork, keeping the edges soft and I used impasto in the highlights and background. I'm especially happy with the expressive look of his eyes and mouth and the painterly texture in his hair. 

Buy on Etsy

Woman Walking on a Beach

Oil on canvas 16"x12"

In this painting a beautiful woman walks on a beach at sunset in a long white dress, her hair and dress floating in the seashore breeze. I wanted to capture the warm, soft colors of the "golden hour" with the pink tones of the sky, sand and sea permeating throughout the painting. I enjoy evoking dreamy scenes that I would like to step into such as this one. I have always been inspired by the seaside imagery of Joaquin Sorolla and Frank Benson. Both frequently featured women in white dresses in coastal light. 

I had fun using a combination of vigorous impasto strokes to convey the movement of wind in fabric and very soft edges throughout indicating the saturated, glowing light of sunset. This made for a richly textured and painting of a beautiful figure within an atmospheric landscape. 

Buy on Etsy

Woman by the Sea

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

In this painting a beautiful woman sits in a rocky cove in a white dress, her hair and dress whipping in the wind, the sea sparkling behind her. I wanted to capture the feeling of a windy day at the seashore and the brilliant sun glinting off the water. I have always been inspired by the seaside imagery of Joaquin Sorolla and Frank Benson. Both frequently featured women in white dresses in bright coastal light. I love the many subtle shades of blues, pinks and yellows that can be found in the shadows and reflected light upon white. 

Lately I've been interested in the integration of the figure with an outside environment. I had fun using vigorous impasto strokes to convey the dazzling play of light and the movement of wind in fabric and hair. This made for a richly textured and lively painting combining a beautiful figure with an atmospheric landscape. I especially enjoyed evoking the feeling of warm salt-infused breezes and the joy of summer while painting in the cold, dark days of winter.

Buy on Etsy

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

Man Sleeping on Sofa - sold

Oil on canvas, 9"x12"

This painting is a study of a handsome man enjoying a nap. I kept the brushwork loose and lively to play up the casualness of the figure. I like the way he has collapsed on the couch after getting partially undressed and is simply relaxing. I'm pleased with how the liquid flow of paint and the sharp highlights vividly portray the skin. Just as the Impressionists did, I enjoy capturing the natural and happy moments of real life.

Contemplation - sold

Graphite on paper, 11"x8.5"

This is a drawing of a handsome man in jeans relaxing on a sofa. It's a combination of portrait and figurative study of my favorite model. Somehow, even when I set out to do a figure study it becomes a portrait of that person. I like the open, lounging quality of his pose. It's so typical of the comfortably confident way men sit. There is an interesting combination of the classical and contemporary in this piece. While pondering his gentle, thoughtful expression I realized that this piece is about both my contemplation of him and his own inward contemplation.

I am a big fan of John Singer Sargent's superb male figure drawings and I've been inspired to explore drawing again after a long period of almost exclusively painting. It has been fun to focus on line and tone. I'm enjoying the spontaneity and expressive quality of these drawings.

Buy on Etsy

Cesar at the Window - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This painting is a classic figure painting of a nude man standing at a window. His musculature is sharply defined by natural light. There is a quality of yearning to this figure as he gazes out at the world beyond the window and a great deal of atmosphere in the interior around him. 

This small painting has wonderful texture and impasto highlights with impressionistic glimpses of light and greenery in the window. While this is essentially a figure study I am always interested in conveying a sense of the human being and a mood, not just a body.

Buy on Etsy

Girl in a Sidewalk Cafe - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a painting of a girl seated at a sidewalk cafe, gazing at the passing scene. I wanted to convey the pleasure of sitting with a cup of coffee, indulging in a contemplative mood. 

I was inspired by the Impressionist's many cafe scenes. Renoir, Degas and Manet among others depicted fashionable people of their era enjoying life. While the styles have changed, I like the continuity that some of these pleasures remain the same.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Nude on a Victorian Sofa - sold

Oil on canvas, 9"x12"

This is a painting of a beautiful nude woman reclining on a Victorian sofa. While this is technically not a fainting sofa and this woman is clearly not corseted, I'm enjoying alluding to that era. I like how the curves and angles of this statuesque lady's figure complements the sinuously swooping yet very proper sofa.

Buy on Etsy

Standing Male Nude Figure Study - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a classic standing nude figure study of an exotically handsome man with a powerful physique. I like creating nudes that are also unique portraits of distinct individuals. I pushed the contrast between the cool colors of the background and the warm skin tones and the crimson drape in the lower corner to create a vibrant mood. I kept the edges crisp to make the figure pop against the background. There is vigorous brushwork throughout, especially in the shimmering impasto of the background and the fabric. The effect is that of a fine traditional academic figure study with a fresh, modern energy.

Buy on Etsy

Cesar Reading in Bed - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a classic nude study of a man sitting in bed reading while bathed in natural light from an unseen window. There's a poetic quality to the scene, as though he just woke up, reached for this book and was transfixed by what he read. I love the luminosity of his body against the darkness of the room, the way the light bounces off the sheets and envelopes him. I had fun with the varying hues and impasto texture in the sheets and especially enjoyed the glow of the brilliant light hitting his inner thigh.