Uncanny, No?

I'm going to geek out on a few funny coincidences...so bear with me

I watched Red Sonja (1984) last night with my roommate, and I was mesmerized by how much Brigitte Nielson reminded me of Neko Case. Neko's stage demeanor is teetering on the fantasy rhealm and I must insist she could assume Red Sonja's sword yielding role no questions asked.








hehe haw haw!

And...on a totally different subject

Play catsoup and listen to boom bip's popsicle for an uncanny pair up. Have fun!

Ok, I'm done.

This collection of paintings was created in 2008 and 2009 and are a result of rigorous exercises in learning to illustrate a book-like aesthetic using watercolor. There has never really been a single vision, only an exploration of many passing fantastical thoughts. In these works, I was playing with a certain depth of allegory by illustrating a literal depiction of an absurd thought or an abstract dream. Fantasy is most satisfying for me as a subject matter because it reveals things we don't see in ordinary life. Because the works vary so much in content, I am avoiding writing a description for every one, however I commit to explaining the painting to the purchaser. Of course there is a silliness to most of them and I intend for people not to take me too seriously, but I've always had those enjoyable moments of seeing past the ridiculous and having a secret desire to include myself in the imaginary events.

To inquire about a piece please visit www.kellypatton.org and click CONTACT

White Fox
6"x8"
Gold leaf, watercolor, ink on board
SOLD


Spell: Violins
6"x6"
Gold leaf, watercolor, ink on board
SOLD


Alien
6"x6"
Gold leaf, watercolor, ink on board


Dragon Sea Horse
6"x6"
Gold leaf, watercolor, ink on board


Axolotl
6"x6"
Gold leaf, watercolor, ink on board


Angler Fish
6"x6"
Gold leaf, watercolor, ink on board


Alpaca Yarn
original watercolor and colored pencil measures 11"x15"
framed under UV-protectant glass
SOLD


Close up
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Downward Horse
original watercolor measures 11"x9"
SOLD
framed under UV-protectant glass


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Bamboo God
original watercolor, gold leaf and ink measures 10"x10"
framed under UV-protectant glass
SOLD


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Arrowhead Island
original watercolor measures 11"x14"
framed under UV-protectant glass
SOLD


Close Up


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Drink
original watercolor measures 10"x10"
framed under UV-protectant glass


Close Up


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A Conversation
original watercolor measures 8"x8"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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Bliss Dragon
original watercolor measures 12"x16"
framed under UV-protectant glass


Close Up


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Indra and Sam
original watercolor and gouache measures 17"x12"
framed under UV-protectant glass


Close Up


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Steam Pilot
original watercolor measures 9"x9"
framed under UV-protectant glass
sold



Welcome to Flavor Country


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Seed Villiage
original watercolor and colored pencil measures 11"x15"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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The Cozy Indoors
acrylic painting measures 16"x20"


Stag Warriors
original watercolor measures 11"x15"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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Sand Piper Tree
original watercolor and ink measures 10"x13"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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The Transformation of Owls
original watercolor measures 14"x12"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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Totem
original watercolor measures 8"x8"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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Wrinkles
original watercolor and colored pencil measures 9"x13"
framed under UV-protectant glass


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Quid Pro Quo
original watercolor and metal leaf measures 10"x13"
framed under UV-protectant glass
SOLD

Greatest discovery this year...

Phantasmaphile, my absolute favorite blogger has been one of my daily internet haunts for over a year now. She has opened my eyes and inspired me by sharing her love for art, mythology and psychology. It has been one of those strange instances where you have many parallel interests with someone, but I am sure I am not alone saying so about this writer. I wanted to touch on a few gems that I found irresistable and inevitably inspiring.

Myth and Psychology: Joseph Campbell



Magical author: Trinie Dalton



Bad-ass female surrealist Remedios Varo



Subconcious expert and Portland artist Theo Ellsworth, who I plan on meeting some day :)



I was fortunate enough to receive a little spotlight for my paintings on phantasmaphile earlier this year.
That was a good day...

Pressure printing

My good friend Dave was nice enough to spend a Sunday afternoon with me working on a type project. He is such a generous guy and loves him some letterpress. So we went to work and had a collaboration.


Grandpa kept a type cabinet in his basement as a sentimental reminder of his days at the publisher. He passed away around 7 years ago, and I recently discovered the type collection while visiting my grandma in Colorado. She loves butterflies, so as a thank you for willing me the cabinet, I combined his fascination for art and letterpress type with her butterflies. She is going to freak out, I know it!


Rust and Yellow


My Grandma and Grandpa's type, arranged on the plate.




I drew an outline of a butterfly on yupo paper and cut out shapes for two runs of color. We took the paper cut out and stuck it with adhesive to the roller on the press. When the paper was sent through, only the shape of the butterfly and a little static around the edges appears. Dave printed two runs to show two colors in different sections.

Watercolor sketch

Here is an example of a quick watercolor study, or sketch turned into a final painting.
I apologize for the pale images, my camera is seeing its last days.
This drawing was sketched very lightly with a hard lead pencil on Arches hot press watercolor paper.


I do a watercolor wash around the characters using french ultramarine and quinacridone pink and get some lovely transparent effects, no?


A few strokes of browns and golds achieved by mixing a bit of quinacridone gold.


The concept was "Vans Birthday Card"...Van is my talented sweet and sour cubical mate who deserves nothing less than a sweet ass bee to fly him to his next ninja mission.

Final painting mounted on another folded sheet of paper (adopted from Van and his brilliant birthday card presentation)

Ketyl block process

Bugs, glorious bugs. Insects inspired me to start these paintings using metal leaf.
I start with a sketch of the desired bug, and transfer the image with graphite to an ampersand block coated with absorbent ground. Then I do a quick under painting in watercolor.


I paint the colorful details of the bug in watercolor, then coat the area around the color with gold leaf size. I lay down the metal leaf and gently tap the coated areas with a stiff brush to press the leaf into the adhesive.


I use the same brush to remove the leaf, making gentle circular strokes the blow away the leaf and reveal the painting underneath.


The fun part. I ink around the painting using shellac-based inks (which have a great honey-like glow over the metal leaf) and define the shapes and patterns.


The wooden part of the board (cradles the panel) is stained with watercolor and the whole block is coated to protect the watercolor and leaf from exposure. I use use a mineral spirit-based spray varnish. View all available blocks here.

Amigurumi week

Sloth


Red Panda: cutest animal on earth. And here is the panda again, I cant help myself.




Owl in an arctic fox costume

Amigurumi week

New albino eyes: First thought Moby Dick




A visiting friend inspired me to make the Buffalo

Huuuge Moth

Pixadus, the holy grail of stock photos:
Check out the "insect photos" folder on this site, there you shall find a glorious collection of macro photos. It was hard to pick my favorite, but I settled for the enormous fuzzy, rust-colored moth. I could see a mouse riding this thing.



I want this fuzzy thing so bad!

Monster Art

I am a bit late on this posting, but I must document this show! I had so much fun at this opening in Ballard August '09 and want to thank everyone who came. The show was the most successful since the Habitude opening last year and I owe a big thanks to Holly for featuring my work at her awesome shop.


Holly has a sweet trapese set up in the shop and the aerialists flock to the cirque setting


I am always happy to see new faces at these events so don't be shy to come see me at my next opening.

Secret Life of Plants

I just uploaded my first videos on youtube for Secret Life of Plants
(I'm stoked for this picture because Avery posed so nicely :)

New obsession: amigurmis

This was bound to happen eventually, but I have converted painting cute furry things on paper to crocheting cute fuzzies in 3D.

Straight at ya, in no particular order...

continued...

Seattle Collage

My house. Just kidding, I WISH it was.


Some favorite relics, on display, collecting dust.





My back porch feels like a tree house, especially in the summer.

Mineral Lake

Colorado Collage

Portals

Inside the saxaphone repair shop


These barb bqs are the best. The best.


Scribbles. Mr. Scribbles, that is.

New, and sorta new

Pugliacci had his debut last November, and is now resting on the molding in my living room with other paintings from past shows. He is very pathetic, isn't he?


"Spell", a new mixed media tryptic is currently up at Halogen through June, (they share the same wall with the Roq LaRue, no big deal):)


Paint paint fur, all day long, paint paint fur while I sing this song...

A few things I have been occupying myself with...

The knitting has slowed down a bit now that it is warm outside, but I am pretty consistent with the making of the hats and the limb-warmers in the winter.


Lewis at Gasworks, he is one of my favorite subjects when I pretend to be a photographer.


Poor squirrel, he was a fresh one. He looked like he was sleeping.

Seattle's Hidden Gem

The Arboretum is my favorite wandering spot in the city. There are thousands of species of plants here, from all over the world. Spring time is euphoric.

Tunnel on the path.


Japanese Garden.


Cherry blossoms.