Vedat in my Studio

oil on canvas, 16"x12"

This painting is part of a series that began in the summer of 2019 when I met a handsome art lover who immediately offered to model for me. It was a joy to closely observe this wonderfully expressive subject by the large north facing windows of my studio. Little did I imagine just how much this spontaneous collaboration would come to mean to me only a short time later.

I am happy with the luminous, painterly quality achieved in this painting. I also love the peaceful, relaxed mood. One of the things I cherish about painting is how it helps me meditate on a beautiful moment, to expand and preserve it, perhaps even beyond this fleeting life.

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.

 

Lost in Thought - sold

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

In this painting a handsome nude man stretches with his hands clasped behind his head. Light pours from a window to define his lean body which stands out from the shadowy interior. He gazes outside, his expression distant and enigmatic. The darkness of the background has a deep green tint. This is a classic figure study yet steeped in mood. 

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

Man with Cobalt Blue - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a painting of a beautiful man with a distant, dreamy gaze. I gave him a background of deep cobalt blue to complement the warm golden skin tones and add to the dreamlike feeling. I am pleased with the expressive impasto brushstrokes while capturing beautiful features like his dazzling pale blue eyes. It's an energetic, textured painting.

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

Man in Darkness - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

In this painting a handsome man stands in darkness, his pale skin glowing. He looks a bit shadowy and sinister. But is he truly dark? Or is he the light within the darkness? 

I wanted to focus on mood and atmosphere so I kept the colors and values within a limited range. I am pleased with the subtlety of the shadows  which simultaneously accentuate and obscure his sharp features and lean body. There is texture and visible brushwork, especially in the background. I'm not sure if the images sufficiently convey the mood and depth of this painting is as darker paintings are difficult to photograph. This is a small but evocative painting with a powerful presence.

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

Man by the Sea - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This portrait of a young man is perhaps the most classic I've done thus far. I was thinking a lot about Renaissance art while painting him. Although he is a contemporary man there is a timeless feeling to this painting. I placed my subject outdoors before a deep blue sea with a moody sky, a distant brightness at the horizon. I like how the blues of the water and sky set off his warm skin. I'm happy to have achieved a thoughtfulness and subtlety of form in this beautiful face.

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. 

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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. 

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Man by a Window - sold

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

There's something poetic about this man, a certain Byronesque air. Perhaps it's the haunting intensity of his eyes or the wavy, flowing hair. I like the moodiness of the interior in this painting, there's a hint of the ecclesiastic in the high, dark paneling. He looks as if he has just stepped from the shadowy recesses into the light of the window. I'm happy to have combined a high level of technique with spontaneous expression. The lively, open brushwork effectively conveys the movement of light over the contours of his muscular body while evoking pliant flesh. This is one of my larger male nudes and the scale allowed a strong feeling of the model in his environment and a vivid sense of life.

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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.

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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.

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Portrait of Young Ernest Hemingway - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait of the 18 year old Ernest Hemingway at the start of his voluntary service as an ambulance driver in Italy during WWI. It's based on an old black and white photo and I thought it would be fun to paint Hemingway as though he had posed for a quick portrait study by John Singer Sargent, who went to capture the conflict in Europe as an official war artist. I kept the brushwork loose and I think it has the look of portrait from the early 20th century.

It was fascinating to contemplate the young Hemingway in this period shortly before encountering the horrors of war which would both inspire and mark him. I feel he emerged looking quite boyish yet confident, almost cocky...as though he knew that big things were ahead for him.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

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. 

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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. 

Man in the Ocean - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a painting of a handsome, muscular man emerging from the ocean. He's dripping wet and glistening, the warm golden tones of his body contrasting with the blues and greens of the sea. I enjoyed painting the highlights on his shining skin, the transparent green wave lapping against him and the droplets falling off his arm. This is a very happy, sensual painting that evokes a perfect day at the beach with a beautiful man, bright sun and warm water.

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. 

Portrait of a Young Man - sold

Oil on canvas 10"x8"

One reason I love creating portraits is that I get to study faces as I paint them. I could look at this face all day. I think what I find so compelling is the strength and sculpted beauty of his features in combination with his open, sensitive gaze. 

I used a combination of varied edges to convey depth and a pale grayish blue background to complement the warm tones of his skin. 

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.



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Study of a Young Man - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait study of a beautiful dark haired young man with dramatic features and an intense expression. I focused on loose brushwork, keeping the edges soft and I used impasto in the highlights. His eyes are a riveting deep blue and I'm pleased that his mouth looks especially tactile while being quite painterly.