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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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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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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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.

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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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.

Man Sleeping in Antique Bed - sold

Oil on canvas 14"x18"

This painting is a classic male nude of a sleeping figure in an antique bed. The model is angled across the bed with the white sheets framed by the dark tones of the wooden bed and room interior. There is a vigorous, painterly quality to the brushwork while maintaining a high degree of realism. It's a contemporary work but the interior details and classical technique rich with impasto imbues it with a vintage feel. This is a sleeping figure but something about this figure, perhaps the bold foreshortening and the strong diagonal of the figure conveys a restless energy.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

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. 

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. 

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.