Marilyn's Bouquet Suite: Vol. I Print

"Marilyn's Bouquet Suite: Vol. I" Acrylic, Ink, Antique Sheet Music c.1893 of Beethoven's 'Symphony II', Photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Paper Mache (vase), Butterflies, Flowers, Starfish, Sand Dollars, Diamond Dust (vase & 3D items twinkle) with Glossy Resin Glaze (shines like glass) on Canvas, 24 x 36 x 2” Artist's Statement: "I often use salvaged antique items from the 19th and early 20th century such as sheet music, piano parts, postcards, keys and clock parts and many other items to create abstract portraits and compositions. All of my work is coated in an epoxy resin, giving the artwork a glass-like appearance. The idea of taking an antique item and utilizing it into a work of art which will be enjoyed forever fascinates me. My passion for history and antiques is heavily expressed in my work, and I find that as an artist you need to be aware of the history of art and what has been done before; and then try to reinvent the wheel.One of my favorite artists, Jill Scott, said "I think, as an artist, you have to experience some deep turmoil, some kind of pain, because that's what connects you with the world. That's what makes it juicy!" --- and I could not agree more. Having lost my father at 16 made me realize that life is short and you should do what you love. Creating art has always been a passion of mine, and I have been following that dream ever since." Bio:Kreg David Kelley (b.1982) won his first art award at the age of 12 with the 'Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards Program' for a drawing entitled 'Holocaust'. In 1996 he drew several drawings of the first teacher-in-space, S. Christa McAuliffe, and gifted them to her mother, which now hang in the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center in Framingham, MA. A huge fan of X-Men and Marvel Comics, he began to study the art of drawing in his free time and soon became obsessed. Throughout his early life he experimented in different artistic mediums, but it wasn't until 2003, that his art became more of a full on passion. Aside from abstract and 3D works on canvas, he often utilizes artifacts from the 18th - 19th century into his pieces such as sheet music, engravings, clock parts, musical instrument parts, photogravures, skeleton keys, and anything else he can get his hands on. From February until April of 2006, he had his first solo show in collaboration with the Actors' Theatre of Washington and David Mamet's Victorian lesbian comedy, 'Boston Marriage': all 15 pieces sold. During that time, he was also commissioned by Galerie Lareuse to create a collage of the 100th anniversary of Washington D.C.'s University Club, which now hangs in their lobby. Several of his pieces are in world-reknowned chef Gerry Garvin's restaurant in Hollywood & he participated in a group show in NYC featuring works by Yoko Ono. In the summer of 2010 his painting of "Washington, DC: Night in the City Series" was chosen to be featured in the national calendar for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). During that same year he painted a portrait of Warhol Superstar Holly Woodlawn, and gifted it to her during her DC performance with Ganymede Arts. In 2012 a piece by Kelley was given as a gift to the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I. In the same year he sold one of his floral pieces to the former head coach of the Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers and a piece to actress/comedian Jane Lynch. Having moved from Connecticut to attend the George Washington University, he had been living in D.C. from 2000-2013 and was curator for Galerie Lareuse for 11 years in Georgetown, specializing in original works on paper by 19th & 20th century masters such as Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Miro, Braque, Renoir, Leger, Matisse, Magritte, Kandinsky, Buffet, Dufy, Lautrec, Calder, Delaunay, Haring, Warhol, Degas, and many others. He has bought and sold over $3 million in fine art throughout the years, including a 2006 sale via Galerie Lareuse of Picasso's rare 1912 etching "Nature Morte, Bouteille" to the National Gallery of Art; and a 2011 sale of Vincent van Gogh's very rare c.1890 etching "Portrait of Dr. Gachet". He assisted in the art estate of Eunice Shriver, and many other private collections in the DC area. He curated three solo exhibitions in Washington, DC for MacAurthur Fellow Recipient, Elizabeth Turk. Throughout the years he has donated many artworks to The Trevor Project, Easter Seals, Washington DC Humane Society, City Dogs Rescue, Washington Animal Rescue League, Thrive DC, Ross Elementary, Human Rights Campaign () National Dinner, Whitman Walker Clinic's Art for Life, and Georgetown Hospital's/Four Season's Georgetown Jingle & Annual Golf Classic Fundraiser. He has sold works to clients in many countries across the world including Amsterdam, Canada, Brazil, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Australia, France, Japan, Italy, Spain, & the United Kingdom. He currently resides in Key West, Florida, where he continues to create new works and trade fine art; and is an active member of The Arts Council Of The Florida Keys, The Anne McKee Art Fund, and The Studios of Key West. In the fall of 2017 he created "The Time Travelers Of Key West" poster and donated all the proceeds to Hurricane Irma victims via Sister Season Fund & the Florida Keys SPCA." Notable Collectors: Juan Carlos I, Former King Of Spain Jane Lynch, Actress & Comedian Claire McCaskill, Former United States Senator Doc Rivers, NBA Coach Gerry Garvin, Celebrity Chef Philip McNamara, Assistant Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security Dr. Murray Treiser, Doctor Dr. Alexander Mirtchev, International Economist "...An ingenious touch is provided by a series of paintings hanging on the set and on the theater walls. The subject matter, all portraits of women, provides an early tip-off to the play's Sapphic theme. And artist Kreg Kelley has created a perfect modernist look, recalling Matisse and especially Picasso's famous portrait of Gertrude Stein..." -Celia Wren, The WASHINGTON POST