Kelly James Art
Kelly James—Rockford, Illinois
I have lived a blended existence, just as most people do who aren’t making their living solely in the arts, but making art has always been an undeniable part of who I am. Early on I realized it would remain a lifelong passion, if not always my full-time vocation, and circumstance and practicality often determine the shifting balance. Currently I make art as well as lecture and demonstrate in various eras of art history. I work in many mediums but mostly I love to paint – from large size public murals to small scale miniatures. My work is representational. Driven to create visual records of my own interpretation of beauty, I am especially fascinated by the faces of people and our environment. There is such an enormous amount of color, detail and emotional narrative in the human face that I find myself desperate to capture them. Moreover, my work goes beyond likenesses to an attempt instead to capture spirit and light and color and context or setting, reflecting the continual awe I feel for the phenomenal light and saturated color all around me.
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