Jonathan Kelly Artist Bio

In the 1990’s I was a textile designer. This was not the beginning, but a continuation of my varied artistic endeavours. This is the start point for this website.

In 2014 I start working with wood, which was a new direction for me. The methodology blended painting and marquetry while creating a 3d effect, this allowed me to communicate my messages in a whole new way. The technique evolved and culminated with my largest piece, Sanary Sur Mer.

Sanary sur mer was a true labour of love, containing over a thousand pieces and taking over two years to complete. I loved creating with this method but it was sadly not sustainable in the long term since the amount of time for each work was extending as I was always striving to create something more magnificent than the previous work.

This realisation took me back to more traditional techniques, and the rediscovery of acrylic on canvas and watercolours and ink combinations. The advantage of this shift was the refocusing of my attention away from technique and towards interpretations of situations and the emotions within those moments. The emotional roller coaster of my life is reflected in the different pieces, sometimes obviously while others more obliquely.

My previous experience as a press photographer means that film and photography have always influenced my art. There are often elements from photographs included in the work or have inspired the pieces.