Gatya Kelly

I paint still life works of the objects in my environment. Flowers or fruit, combined with a hard shiny element such as a vessel or ornament. Occasionally there is fabric. Lighting is chiaroscuro, from the left generally, and backgrounds are dark. These self-imposed constraints are the starting point of all my work but infinite variations are possible. I look for compositions which combine drama, movement and colour to create balance and serenity. The paintings are decorative and beautiful and sometimes I feel I should apologise for that. But to quote Nick Cave, if we do not attend to the work of projecting delight upon the world, what are we actually doing? Gatya Kelly Byron Bay, 2023