I would really like to get into the habit of doing small spotlight blurbs on artists that I enjoy and find inspirational. Mondays are always the worst days when it comes to getting back into the swing of things at work– it’s just a simple fact of life. I thought looking at some inspirational art at the beginning of the week could benefit everyone, so Mondays it is!

It took me some time to really decide who I was going to spotlight in this first post. I decided on a colleague and former classmate of mine, Kelly McKernan. She just had a show open in Little Five Points at the Aurora Coffee Shop located on Moreland Avenue. Being that it’s fresh in my mind, and that not only is her hard work inspirational to others, but so is her art, I thought I’d begin with her.

The Sea Witch – Watercolor, Gouache, Ink on Silver Gelatin Print © 2008 Kelly McKernan

Kelly is an emerging illustrator whose work really delivers some fun eye candy… and she has certainly begun catching the attention of the Atlanta scene because of it. She has had a parade of shows and galleries she’s been featured in, has sold quite a number of her paintings (including the one above to me!) and prints, and even self-published her own book showcasing her monstrous “30 Paintings Project” that she completed last year.

Fidelity – Watercolor, Gouache, and Bleach with Silver Gelatin Print on Stretched and Stained Watercolor Paper © 2009 Kelly McKernan

I happen to particularly love her mixture of photography and painting together to create a bit of an otherworldly feel to her work. Watching her play with and discover new techniques and ways to approach her art has been fascinating; she has really come up with some innovative ideas. Having such a strong narrative quality to her work is another aspect that draws my attention, along with soothing colors, strongly characterized line qualities, and sets of components that are sometimes odd to see placed within the same visual field.

Fidelity – Gouache with Silver Gelatin Print on Stretched and Stained Watercolor Paper © 2009 Kelly McKernan

Kelly’s great art and hard work has been really inspirational to me, so I hope it is for you as well. Please be sure to check out her blog, Rocket Socks and Plastic Locks, and her website, KellyMcKernan.com to see all of her artwork and a listing of her upcoming shows.