Paul Kelley

Paul Kelley is a Nova Scotia artist who's figurative paintings, and Nova Scotia art is collected by individuals and corporations throughout Canada and the world.

"I hope that throughout my career I have been able to please many people with my paintings, and that my figurative art has been particularly pleasurable for people who understand that the qualities of sensual beauty that I instill in this art subject are just that. I have always regarded this work as a celebration of the female form and commentary on woman's commanding visual presence in our world, in addition to their humanity and intellect. I believe that it is important to appreciate beauty as an end in itself. It is as simple as being able to stop and regard the beauty of sunrise before a hectic day; and as complicated as overcoming our preconditioning to desire to see more than what we see. Allegory and metaphor exist in my artwork,  but the beauty and grace of the female form in my artwork is intended to convey just that."

Each painting is the result of hundreds of hours of work involving the careful manipulation of  light  and form, colour and composition, to create an image which is passionate and alluring. Whether the painting is landscape or figurative, Paul strives to create a  balanced image which is both powerful and yet serene, mysterious and inviting. Painting in oil, all of his work adheres to the tradition of a full monochrome under painting, followed by glazing, and then a light impasto (no airbrushing). Paul uses whatever combination of manual techniques that come to mind to convey the "feel" of the object being painted, most generally using sable brushes. He approaches each new creation as a new "learning curve", rarely relying on formulas, and believing that this is the best way to ensure that his artwork embodies the passion that he feels for it.