Description It's Michigan. It's Saturday, October 27, 2007. Its fall, rainy, cold and dark. Its only 11:45 AM. I suppose the weather has made me a little melancholy. The curtains are pulled on the windows. I go to the window to let some light in before sitting down to paint. I pull back the curtains. Its ugly and dark. I decide on not pulling the curtains back and let them fall. I go to the desk, stream an old episode of This American Life and sit down to the blank 9'x12' paper. The house is quiet, everyone is gone and Ira Glass talks over the speakers. There is a story about a father who was married 5 times and there were 9 kids somewhere in there. The kids were all trying to make sense of the father. It reminded me of a portrait I painted for my father which he did not take with him when he left. The speakers go quiet and I can hear leaves swirling around outside the window near my desk. I continue painting in the silence because when there is rain and cold, there is time to sit and think. So, here is to portraits and people who may get left behind. And here is to all those that stick around to enjoy those paintings and people...Enjoy!
Keemo Gallery, Grand Rapids Member Since October 2007 Artist Statement
Keemo.
I paint people. The people in my painting are usually based on real people that I may have ran into through the day or based upon people I know. Every person/painting has a story.
My paintings currently reside in private collections in Canada, England, Austria, Brazil, Spain, Australia, South Korea and almost every state in the US (come on Nebraska, North Dakota and Idaho!).
Current exhibitions include: The Take 121 Gallery in Nashville, TN. The B.O.B in Grand Rapids, MI. Two paintings are in the current issue of Black Oak Presents. My work has been used in both print and web publications. I have participated in both group and solo shows.
You can learn more about me and my artwork by visiting my website at www.KeemoGallery.com