Jane Kell
Based in London
Jane Kell has a BA Honours in the History & Theory of Art from Essex University and worked for many years in PR, including roles such as Publicity Director of Phaidon Press and Head of Press at the National Gallery in London. When she started to paint in 2010 it felt very natural that her first pictures were still-life and landscapes influenced by British painters like William Nicholson and Mary Fedden, where colour and light were the focus. After over a decade of painting and teaching art Jane now works on a much larger scale. Her interest in colour and light remains but now her focus is on how these elements work in a more abstract context.
“I was always drawn to the vitality of Jane’s work, and as her paintings developed in scale and became more abstract, this vitality only became more evident through her deep gestures and luminescent tones. She commands an atmosphere in each one of her pieces through her solid dusky brushstrokes, yet manages to capture light with sophistication, forming a glow-like quality to her work.
Paintings are slowly revealed through Kell’s considered way of applying, wiping and rubbing away oils on her canvas. Her process is intuitive, and this spontaneous way of making animates her work and creates vibrancy, further exaggerated by her dynamic use of colour.
Kell’s work lies in the balance between observational landscapes and abstractionism. She strips a landscape down to its essential elements until the raw forms of sky, earth and water emerge in her tonal depictions. In this series of work, Jane introduces us to lands of auburn skies and cerulean pools, immersive terrains and familiar shorelines.”
Nathalie Staples, Owner and Director, cambridge contemporary art
