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.

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 Napping - sold

Oil on canvas, 9"x12"

This is a unique contemporary portrait of a handsome young man napping on a couch in afternoon light. I was taken by the intense reflected light and exuberant colors in this view of my favorite model. The planes and angles of his face were sharply defined by the unusually luminous conditions. A variety of vivid flesh tones occur within the bright shadow areas and vigorous brushwork captures rich textures and details. I love the relaxed feeling of this scene and there's a fascinating contrast between the peaceful languor of the model and the energy created by the angles of the composition. 

Buy on Etsy

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. 

Male Figure Study - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This painting is a figure study and portrait of a handsome man. I wanted to do a study of this gorgeous man and his athletic musculature while keeping a focus on painterly brushwork, texture and light. I'm happy that I also captured a sweet expressiveness in his face. The golden tones of his body are complemented by the warm blue-grey of the background. There's a casual feel combined with moodiness that makes this painting both contemporary and timeless. 

Reclining Male Nude - sold

Oil on canvas, 9"x12"

This painting is a study of a handsome man lounging on a sofa, enjoying a nap. I love painting sleeping figures and this one was especially fun and challenging because the hand is central. Hands are actually rather difficult to paint well and they can be quite expressive. Whenever a hand is part of a composition I have to take care that it doesn't become a portrait of the hand because I love painting them. I kept the brushwork vigorous and sketchy to contrast with the languor of the figure.



Also available on Etsy

Man Sleeping - sold

Oil on Canvas, 10"x8"

This painting is a study in serenity and light movement. I wanted to explore cool flesh tones with soft light and edges. There's something very calming about a sleeping figure and this is highlighted by the quiet shades of blue throughout. I've seen many paintings with sleeping female nudes but I wanted to feature a man instead. It's an unusual context that gives a vulnerable and tender aspect to the masculine form.

Upon reflection I think that's what I wanted to capture. That moment of peace. There is no guile or malice in a man asleep. He is free of his conscious torments, childlike and pure. Sleep is a wonderful thing that I rarely get enough of and I like to celebrate these simple, precious things in life.

Fine quality prints from this painting are now available here.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Blue Moon - sold

Oil on Canvas, 10"x8"

This painting was inspired by loss and memories, grief and ultimately joy. It's a portrait of fragility and strength. In studying faces I have found that there is an odd power in openness and vulnerability. It can connect us to the essence of our humanity. 

Portrait of Prince

Charcoal on paper, 12"x9"

I'm missing Prince on his birthday...and actually every day since he moved on to the afterlife. I am so grateful that my time on earth coincided with the life of this great artist. Even though Prince didn't celebrate birthdays I remember and celebrate the dazzling creativity and beauty he brought to the world. 

Reclining Nude in Bed - sold

Oil on canvasboard, 5"x7"

This figure study captures the direction and movement of morning light on a reclining nude. I don't normally crop figures this way but I like how it emphasizes the angles and shapes. I also enjoyed observing the light and shadows both on the figure and in the light and dark areas of the bed and background. I like how it turned out. I think the closer focus on the figure allows for more detail at the same time it creates bolder shapes which gives this small painting great presence.

Portrait of a French Girl - sold

Oil on hardboard panel, 8"x6"

This is another of my portraits of imaginary people from the past. Don't ask me why she's French, that just seemed to come to mind as I was painting her. She was a difficult girl to paint, elusive, challenging, different. The paint didn't want to stay where I put it on the board but it created some interesting effects. She was painted in one very long session and the slippery quality of the paint made the brushwork rather distinct. It's an unusual look but I decided to go with it. The colors didn't blend quite like I'm used to but it retained a fresh, wet appearance even after drying.

As she emerged from the chaos of the painting she brought to mind smokey Parisian cafes, red wine and existentialist conversations. Mysterious, with a hint of deep passions, I could imagine a girl like this holding the attention of the Lost Generation.