Kelly Washbourne is a Oxfordshire based artist known for her bold expressions, texture, energy and vibrancy. Graduating with a degree in Fine Art from Falmouth University in 2002, she has exhibited work in New York, LA, Paris and Singapore.
Living locally, and with her work hanging in some of our client’s houses, Kelly has kindly let us hang a selection of her original abstract oil paintings on our showroom walls.
Kelly’s creates her works of art by layering paint, using colours and marks to achieve a quirky balance and structure that allows the eye to be drawn around the canvas without any jarring moments. Each piece takes months and sometimes years to evolve but those early bold strokes can sometimes still be glimpsed as the beginning of the story or journey. Those lucky enough to own a piece have said that even after nearly 10 years of looking at it on their walls, they are still seeing new things or elements in it.
To celebrate this, we thought we would ask Kelly a few questions about her fascinating creative process.
How do you begin a piece ? Where on the canvas and withwhat?
I like to begin with gestural bold marks to try and get energy into the canvas straight away. Perhaps a strong line down the right-hand-side of the canvas, some sweeping curves that peak and trough across the centre and often the bottom left corner is quite ‘busy’. I like to think of it as a party on the canvas!
How do you decide when a piece is finished?
One of my favourite questions as it has quite a simple answer - when I don’t want to change anything. When everything holds its own, the balance is right, the colours singing and its telling its own story. Sometimes, just to check, I will hang a canvas on the wall by my bed so that I can gaze at it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. If some small bit jumps out or I’m not sure or I’ve got an inkling of being not quite sure, then it will go back to the studio for more paint….
What’s your favourite part of the whole process?
My favourite moment is that final brush stroke when I realise that it is finished!
Do you have any of your work hanging on your walls?
I do have my work hanging on the walls at home but all of it is for sale – I don’t keep anything. I’ve had many pieces that I’ve loved but I’m more excited by the fact that other people love them. However, I would like to make one especially for our family home at some point in the future.
Kelly’s pieces look amazing hanging amongst our painted cabinetry in the showroom and our final question to Kelly was to ask what colour her kitchen cabinets are painted.
“A French Gray currently – but I have been thinking that I would love to have a kitchen in Setting Plaster or Dark Olive. Sometimes though, you can gain all the colour and interest you need from a piece of art on the walls - a one off original hung by the dining table can be a great dinner party conversation starter.”
More information and examples of Kelly’s work can be found on her website: www.kellywashbourne.com and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kellywashbourneart/
Please do pop into the showroom to see Kelly’s work in the flesh – the texture and depth cannot be fully appreciated online.
