((L) A Closer Look, (R) Reclamation | Art by Kathleen Keliher)
Currently exhibiting at Hood Avenue Art Gallery in Sisters is artist Kathleen Keliher.
“The pandemic left me with lots of time to reflect on old paintings and ask questions about future ones,” Kathleen stated. “It also meant there were lots of online classes being offered as physical workshops were not happening. New Learning opportunities from artists I had always been curious about were suddenly presenting themselves. As a consequence, my show may contain some unexpected direction as I find my way through new paint applications and color palettes.”
The artist works outdoors in the summer months, developing small plein air oil sketches, gathering color notes and compositional designs. She then returns to her studio and, using these ideas, develops her larger studio paintings, either in pastel or oil.
“Although not abandoning my pastels totally, my painting has become mostly focused on oils, (I currently work in a reduced studio space and I find oils easier to handle in a small area),” continued Kathleen. “There will be some large oils on aluminum composite surfaces as well as smaller works on linen. These will all be landscapes, some real and imaginary, but all with Central Oregon in mind.”
Kathleen is the founder and former president of the Plein Air Painters of Oregon. She was also an original member of the High Desert Art League. She has taught pastel classes, both privately and at the local community college. Kathleen has been a partner in the Hood Avenue Art Gallery in Sisters for the last seven years, where she exclusively markets her artwork.