Shippensburg University Professor Kathryn Keely was featured in the Chambersburg Foundry Art Market Spotlight Gallery, and is displaying her “Rainbow Bird” series from Oct. 21 to Nov. 20.
Keely started this art over 20 years ago while teaching ancient art history, and through this experience she had to learn a multitude of different mythologies. While reviewing these different mythologies she asked herself a pivotal question: “Why can’t I just create my own mythology?” So, she did and began working on the series.
The rainbow birds typically vary from abstract to slightly representational and are made with acrylic paint. Keely is also very fond of nature and movement, which can easily be seen in her work as she captivates the viewers gaze with the adjustment of position and placement.
Keely believes that all living things have flaws, and she uses this to bridge the gap back to mythology as the stories often contain a positive and negative relationship within them. She wanted to introduce a feature to rainbow birds that could be perceived as a flaw, yet afford her the ability to manipulate the creature and its environment. The birds in her work are actually blind and fly like bats.
With this creative freedom, she has been able to experiment with the different colors and environments. Keely is a member of the Shippensburg Art and Design department, so be sure to check out the show if you can. The Chambersburg Foundry Art Market is a lovely place to browse for gifts, art and even “brush” up on some art skills as it offers a plethora of different classes and events.
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