ARtist's statement and Bio

Artist's Statement

I am an organic expressionist. I find inspiration in stones, shells, the movement of the air, and in the shadows as they play across the ground. I explore transcendence and inner journeys. The work is experimental, searching for that perfect pure color, the exact line, the precise curve, stroke, or movement of the brush. I make no preliminary drawings preferring to work in the moment allowing the light, and emotion within to direct me. Working in oil, through layer upon layer of thin glazes, powdered pigments, gold and silver leaf I build upon the canvas communicating my process. With strong color and bold gestures I seek to maintain the organic flow as it is seen in nature.
I am scrying into the tree of life. What do I want from my work? I want to stand across the room and see truth looking back from the canvas.

ARtist Bio

YaeL Kelley lives and works at her studio in the Artist Enclave of Historic Kenwood in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her eclectic heritage: strongly influence her current explorations. YaeL was born in the Ohio river valley and grew up in Florida, where she sold her first work at age 14. She has lived in England, Arizona and Texas. While in England she attended Suffolk College of Art and Design. She has worked in the visual arts, in museums and in the theatre. Her career spans more than 40 years as a professional painter, arts advocate and certified instructor/demonstration artist for several major arts manufacturers, which include Crayola Crayons, Winsor and Newton, and Daler Rowney. She is a past president and artist in residence of the Center for Contemporary Arts of Abilene, served the City of St.Petersburg on the Arts Advisory Committee, the Mayor’s Transition Team for Arts & Culture, and is a founder of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. YaeL was awarded the prestigious 2020 MUSE Visual Arts Award recognizing an artist who has achieved excellence in the visual arts and is registered as a US State Department Art in Embassy artist whose work was recently exhibited in the embassy residence in San Salvador. Her paintings are in collections internationally. She is currently represented at Woodfield Fine Art Gallery 2323 Central Ave. St. Petersburg FL 33713.