Kelly Washbourne | Process

Kelly Washbourne spends months building each canvas up with layers of oil paint. Each piece is a personal journey between the artist and layers of colour finally which evolves to reach a final resting place, a perfect balance.

Even in the darkest of paintings Kelly creates an uplifting quality as light is implied by ways of comparison of these layers of colour. Taking months to complete, each canvas represents its own journey as paint is layered and balanced to create exquisite colour relationships, provoking both thought and emotion.

Colour, texture and an internal vibrancy result from Kelly’s confident use of strong brushstrokes. An essence of Kelly’s walks through the landscape is implied from the strong base layer of paint that forms the structure of each work. The canvas will go through several iterations where this landscape, or form, are brought into the foreground or pushed back behind a neighbouring colour that works to highlight the depth within the painting.

Kelly’s pallet of rich greens, blues and corals make her work instantly recognisable and joyful. The playful nature of placing contrasting colours beside each other brings about a particular vibrancy that offers a calming balance.