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. 

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.

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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.

Woman in Bathtub - sold

Oil on gessoboard panel, 7"x5"

I love painting the highlights on shiny wet skin. This is one reason why bathers and people at the beach are favorite themes of mine. I was pleased to find some colorful reflections in the highlights on this figure.

Joaquin Sorolla is one of my favorite painters and a master of painting wet skin. His beach paintings are simply wonderful and I aspire to one day have that level of accurate yet expressive freedom in my brushwork.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Portrait of a Young Man - sold

Oil on Canvas 12"x9"

A portrait of a young man painted in a classical realist style. This man reminded me of a Caravaggio figure with his intense gaze. 

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Nude with Red Curtains - sold

Oil on Hardboard Panel 7"x5"

This figure painting is a study in back lighting and reflected light. I love the dramatic highlight effects of back lighting while the subtle reflected light from the surrounding curtains helps define the figure. I enjoyed the challenge of painting the contrasts of light and shadow on both the nude and the interior scene.

Woman Bathing - sold

Oil on Canvas 8"x10"

Inspired by Degas' and Bonnard's bathers. For all that has changed in the world, a soak in a bath remains a timeless pleasure. This was a good study in contrasts between warm flesh and the cool tones of the bathtub.

Fine quality prints from this painting are now available here.