Girl with Finger Waves - sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x9"

This is a portrait of a pale, blue eyed girl with finger waves in her golden hair. This portrait study ended up being oddly timeless, both retro and contemporary at the same time. The vivid, cherubic face and swan like neck have a Baroque, mannerist feel while her style is delicately minimal with a 1920's vibe. I like the bold strokes of the loosely painted lavender blue of the background.  

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

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 with Blue and Gold - sold

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

In this painting a dark haired woman in a satin gown of pale celery green sits on a gilt chair in a room of deep blue. There is a luxurious yet understated elegance in this portrait. I was inspired by James McNeil Whistler's Peacock room (one of my favorite things here in D.C.) and also his beautiful Nocturnes which are indicated by the tonalist painting behind the figure. She glows within the dark hues, her expression intense yet ambiguous. I enjoy suggesting a story and evoking a timeless atmosphere. 

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Awaiting the Tryst - sold

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

In this painting a pale woman gracefully lounges in an elegant gown of peacock blue upon a green and gilt sofa in a deep turquoise room. She glows within the luxurious jewel tones of her surroundings.  I've been interested lately in creating a story and evoking the atmosphere of times past. She is a dramatic, romantic figure, lost in reverie...perhaps an aristocratic lady awaiting her lover. I expressed this mood with soft edges and appropriately painterly and loose strokes.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

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.

Portrait of an Edwardian Lady - sold

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

In this painting I wanted to evoke a fin-de-siècle mood. A willowy red haired lady in an elegant black dress creates a dramatic figure within a golden Parisian style interior. She reminds me of a character in a Henry James novel, or many of John Singer Sargent's portrait subjects...a beautiful young woman with a hint of mystery and turbulence beneath her composed exterior. While painted with loose, impressionistic brushstrokes, I enjoyed evoking details such as the rope of pearls and the charming cabriole leg salon chair in the background. 

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Rooftops in Passy

Oil on canvas, 14"x11"

This painting is a view of Parisian rooftops in the elegant neighborhood of Passy in the 16th arrondisement. In this painting I wanted to capture the exquisite details of these Beaux-Arts buildings with an impressionistic feeling. I painted this on a reddish ground which I allowed to peek through and between painterly brushstrokes creating a warm glow and unifying tone between the buildings and sky. I was very pleased to achieve great impasto textures in the clouds.

I adore the visual feast which is Paris with its distinctive historic architecture and atmosphere. While painting this I imagined all the gorgeous apartments contained within these buildings with their quintessential mansard roofs and balconies. I was inspired by all the Impressionist painters but in particular Gustave Caillebotte whose wonderful cityscapes captured the energy and architecture of his era. I've always been a fan of Caillebotte and I previously painted an homage to his great work "Paris Street, Rainy Afternoon" which can be seen here.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

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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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.

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Nude with Flowers and Lace - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is an impressionistic nude painting of a beautiful young woman with long, dark hair seated in a romantic interior draped with lace. I drew inspiration from Auguste Renoir's nude paintings and there is a soft, dreamy quality to this girl with roses in her hair, gazing at a small bouquet in her hand. I love the timeless, elegant quality of the figure and her surroundings.

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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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Portrait of Renée Perle in Black - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait of Renée Perle, inspired by a black and white photo taken by Jacques-Henri Lartigue circa 1930. She was an early muse of his, possibly even something of an obsession during their two year affair. Renée Perle was a model for the couturier Doeuillet at the time of their meeting, remarkable for her exotic beauty and avant-garde style. He shot Renée in countless moods, here in la mode Parisienne. I love her dramatic and distinctive look. 

This is the second portrait that I've done of Renée. My first painting captured her in a St. Tropez look which you can see here.

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.

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. 

Portrait of a Redheaded Flapper - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait of a lovely redhead flapper girl. She manages the rare feat of being sweet and sultry at the same time. From her finger waved hair and Cupid's Bow lips to her pretty ruffled blouse, she looks elegantly vintage and ready for high tea. As I painted her she seemed so charming and fresh that I used a spring green background to complement her peachy tones.

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Portrait of Duncan Grant - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait of Duncan Grant (1885-1978), who was a British artist and central figure in the Bloomsbury Group. I've always been a fan of his and that whole artsy, wild Bloomsbury group. They seemed to live exactly as they chose and defied quite a lot of conventions. Duncan was openly gay and loved by many, including the economist John Maynard Keynes and artist Vanessa Bell (Virginia Woolf's sister) who bore him a daughter and with whom he lived for 40 years until her death in 1961. I tried to capture something of his dreamy beauty, inspired by an old black and white photo and some of his own self-portraits.

I painted this using very traditional portrait methods in layers of glazes over a monochromatic underpainting. This technique creates a great deal of depth although it can also create some variance in the surface gloss as is often seen in antique "ancestor portraits".  I think this ads to a vintage look and in no way detracts from the painting in person (although it did make it a bit difficult to photograph) but I want to point it out just in case anyone doesn't care for such.

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

Portrait of Renée Perle - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait of Renée Perle, inspired by a black and white photo taken by Jacques-Henri Lartigue in 1930. She was an early muse of his, possibly even something of an obsession during their two year affair. Renée Perle was a model for the couturier Doeuillet at the time of their meeting, remarkable for her exotic beauty and avant-garde style which looks fresh even today. I wanted to give bold color to that sun-soaked, carefree era in the Riviera and capture something of this lovely woman's unique charm so I portrayed her deeply tanned in white and linen against a teal-tinged wall of Mediterranean Blue.

Copyright © Pat Kelley. All rights reserved. 

Young Man With Blue Eyes - sold

Oil on Canvas, 10"x8"

This is a portrait study of a beautiful dark haired man with pale skin and vivid blue eyes. He's got a timeless, arresting look about him. I played up the high contrast in his coloring and captured the shimmering quality of the skin highlights. I kept the edges sharp and surrounded him with the color of cool air, the palest yellow-tinged turquoise. The effect is intensely lifelike and rather mesmerizing.

As one viewer said, "I know he's never gonna talk but I'm still listening...he's got my attention".

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.