Gretchen Kelly

Gretchen Kelly Artist Statement for Mixed media on paper

I work in a variety of mediums and styles, but mostly in watercolor on botanicals, landscapes and figurative. I am inspired by the beauty that I see in what is right in front of me- flowers from my garden or the farmer‚Äôs market and nature all around me in the Hudson Valley and wherever my travels take me all through the seasons and the female form at live model sessions. Color is a motivator that inspires me to get down to painting. I like to experiment with color papers in my backgrounds and juxtapose my marks with graphite or pastel on the wet water media surface and allow the bleeding edges to go where they may. Not being in control of the medium of watercolor is what I like. A fuscia flower petal bursts forward next to a cool blue shadow. The splash of white from my overloaded brush emulates the ocean waves breaking. The warm red edges on the rendition of an arm become electrified and define the gesture of the human form. Spontaneous decision making during a one minute pose or spiral of a fern unfurling challenges my ability of economic mark making.  These simple things in my process are what keep me constantly making my art and expanding my process. Simplicity is what I strive for.

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