About
About Kelly Kirkby
Artist Statement
My artistic practice emerges from an innate necessity within me, a strong impulse that expresses itself through canvas and paint. Working primarily in oils on canvas and wood panel, I draw profound inspiration from nature's patterns, organic shapes, and harmonious color palettes.
I create abstract works that celebrate our natural world's cyclical reality and our collective existence within it. While abstraction is at the core of my expression and interest, I also create representational pieces that honor the plant and animal life with whom we share this earth at this moment in time.
Exploring Inner and Outer Worlds
My paintings explore the interplay between my inner psychological landscape—what remains visible versus what stays concealed, and how others perceive me versus my authentic internal reality. Through my work, I delve into the complex human relationship with animals and nature, seeking to reflect both nature's rhythmic continuity and the multifaceted dimensions of human consciousness.
Each piece becomes a meditation on connection: our connection to the natural world, to each other, and to the deeper truths that exist beyond surface perception. My abstract explorations allow me to capture emotions and experiences that often resist literal translation, while my representational works serve as homages to the living beings that inspire wonder and reverence.
Philosophy and Process
As Agnes Martin observed, "Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye, it is in the mind." This sentiment guides my creative process, where I seek to translate internal experiences of beauty and connection into visual form. My work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and perhaps discover their own moments of recognition within the interplay of color, form, and meaning.
Through oil paint's rich texture and luminosity, I aim to create works that celebrate both the seen and unseen aspects of our shared existence—honoring the cyclical nature of life while exploring the depths of human experience and our enduring bond with the natural world.
Kelly Kirkby is an emerging contemporary artist working in oils on canvas and wood panel. Her work has been described as having a distinctive lightness that reflects her deep appreciation for life's inherent beauty and the interconnectedness of all living things.