About | brianjkelley

I am a self-taught painter and a retired middle school teacher, having served thirty-one years in public education.

Since my cancer recurrence, I began learning how to paint in oil.

So far in paint, I have been translating very old family photographs of my ancestors or working from memories of childhood. Recently, I have been branching out into animal portraits in a chiaroscuro style and working towards some local landscape subjects (as my skill and confidence grow).

My work helps relieve some of the psychological and pervasive impacts of processing significant trauma: Stage 3 melanoma, cancer treatments that caused Type I diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, and a subsequent recurrence.

While making art will not cure physical ailments, the slow, deliberate process of making a mark serves as a central anchor, bringing me into the absolute present and enabling a deep mindfulness practice.

Current art memberships

Chester County Art Association

Oxford Arts Alliance

To connect with me, you could send a nice note to artbybjk [at] gmail [dot] com.