ABOUT THE ARTISTOdessa Kelley is an award-winning wildlife and Gyotaku artist, skilled in a variety of mediums, which include acrylic, oil, soft pastel, colored pencil, and graphite. She also enjoys nature photography, and uses her own photographs of wildlife for reference. Her method of learning through books, tutorials, and life experience allows her to experiment with many different mediums and techniques. This is how she learned to create Gyotaku (fish rubbings). Her Gyotaku paintings combine the elements that she holds dear; art, nature, and science.
Odessa has sought her artistic education in non-traditional places. As a child, Odessa was introduced to drawing and oil painting by an art tutor and friend of the family. She spent many hours at the local public library, immersed in books filled with the dramatic paintings of the Renaissance Masters, the expressive work of Georgia O’Keefe, and the scientific realism of Audubon. These artists would eventually influence her art style. At an early age she began combining her love of the natural world with her artistic talent. She would meticulously draw the musculature of horses, analyze the mechanics of a feather, and study the texture of her pet’s fur. This attention to detail would become the hallmark of her professional work. Odessa is currently a full time artist and graphic designer working from her home in Florida and helping her community recover from the devastation of hurricane Michael. Her paintings, gyotaku and photography tell the story of the dwindling wild spaces in America, especially those of her home state of Florida. |
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Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
~ Henry Ward Beecher |
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