Triptych ||| Process
2018 has been an amazing year for Kelli Joy Art. Starting right out of the gate I was contacted for a fun commission stemming from a painting of a hummingbird that I had painted in 2017. It was a gutsy challenge of inventing a triptych (three separate panels that create one scene) from one completed panel. The two new paintings would need to echo the look, feel, texture and color of the already finished piece. My past life of color matching paint for touch ups on walls really came in handy! The three paintings live together nicely and do feel as though they were painted off of the same palette.
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Delicate Balance
[triptych]
30x30cm venetian plaster and acrylic on canvas
With my first commission of 2018 completed, my confidence was high. I was feeling inspired and ready for the next challenge! The project that followed brought fresh challenges for sure. These eager new collectors wanted to go as big as possible while using standard shipping size guidelines to avoid costly art freight fees. Geometry was one of my favorite subjects in school and man, am I so thankful for that in my adult life! (Also thankful for all of the hours that I played Tetris when it first came on the scene).
After crunching numbers and translating some German to English on the DHL shipping website, we came up with the perfect solution. We decided on a triptych of 40x120cm each that would create a 120cm square when hung together. The largest we could go with one solid panel was 70x70cm and that just didn't cut it for the space where it would hang. This was by far the largest canvas I had ever tackled. It was a bit daunting until I remembered that I spent 17 years painting entire walls in homes and businesses! I approached it with that in mind and it felt natural.
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First Light | Last Light
[triptych]
40x120cm venetian plaster and acrylic on canvas
My latest commission is, you guessed it, another triptych! [[high five!]] I am in love with this size and layout so I am super thrilled to paint another. I know these collectors pretty well...because they are my In-laws! I helped them with interior design in their last home so I am familiar with their aesthetic likes and dislikes. I kinda knew from the "get go" what direction to take this piece.
Finding shape and movement by blocking in color. I love the drips!
Focusing on the water and sky became my mantra. I wanted it to feel serene and light. Once the composition took shape I was able to play with some color washes and textures. I love the drips and this is the first time I've incorporated them into the final look of the painting.
This piece was mostly inspired by our move overseas. Maintaining relationships when there's a great physical distance can be challenging. The painting shows two fields of land divided with distance by water. If you look at the horizon the fields of land are actually closer together than one would think. My mother-in-law shared that though Jason and I have moved to a different country she feels closer to us in a way. We talk more regularly and have great travel experiences now that we are separated by this distance. I wanted "Between The Distance" to reflect that feeling of finding closeness through the distance.
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Between The Distance
[triptych]
40x120cm venetian plaster and acrylic on canvas
I'm packaging this baby up and it ships out very soon. I need a new large project! Who's game?! :) Get in touch!