Jake Kelley's Paintings Pull You In

I was one of the first subjects for Jake Kelley, an acclaimed local artist. He drew a portrait of me with a slew of brightly-colored magic markers when he was about four years old. I was about nine months pregnant with his cousin, and my immense size was apparently overwhelming to him.

His drawing consisted of an immense circle with the standard preschool limbs and head, but there was a swirl of a dozen little stick figures inside the immense circle. According to the artist, those were my babies. Plural. Jake could not imagine only one small infant inside my massive belly and imagined there had to be 12. At least. 

I probably burst out in tears, between hormones and female sensitivity, but I didn't criticize. No, I was sensitive to my nephew, the budding artist. And I am very glad I held onto that drawing. 

This year Jake was invited to submit a design for the Four Bridges Arts Festival Limited Edition poster. For the first time, three artists were asked to produce a painting for consideration for this honor. The actual winning painting will be auctioned off at the Preview Party on April 12, and limited edition prints will be available for sale. A little intimidated by his 'competition,' Jake nonetheless went to work in his studio on the Southside. "Competition is a great way to test yourself," Jake says.  "The pressure will either make you perform better or you will freeze up. It’s usually best not to think about it too much."

His painting was ultimately chosen, and Jake modestly attributes it to the fact that the other artists had to pull out for various reasons. "I was most surprised that I got chosen, even if it was by default," he says.  "And secondly that I actually ended up delivering a poster design that I was extremely happy with. A rare phenomenon with artists," he says. But his art defies any second place label. Rich and exuberant, complicated and mesmerizing, his paintings pull you in, holding your eye and your mind until you are practically absorbed into them.  

His titles are as intriguing as the subjects:
The Pulp of Your Heart
Sudden Tongues of Cerberus
Contemplating a World Clear as Water
Origin of the World
My River Runs to Thee
My Bones Hold a Stillness 

Poetic and thought-provoking, the way the titles sum up the paintings add a whole new dimension to his work. 

Jake doesn't begin a painting with a preconceived notion. "I don’t really decide on anything up front. I guess I try, but nothing ever turns out quite the way I plan. I make a “move” and see how the materials react and then make another “move” based on the painting's reaction. It’s a lot like playing chess (which I don’t have the patience for). It’s a battle," he says.  

Chosen as Best Emerging Artist in 2008 at the Four Bridges Festival, Jake also received the Chancellor's Purchase Award at UTC in 2006. He has exhibited numerous times at AVA, Tanner Hill, WTCI and the Four Bridges Art Festivals. 

An art teacher at Signal Mountain High School, Jake was recently one of the artist's who volunteered to mentor students at the Mark Making project, 20/20 Vision on Riverfront Parkway. He clearly has a heart for kids. "It may be a cliché but kids are way cooler than adults," he says. "I also love working with people who don’t have preconceived ideas or set ways of doing things and figuring out new and interesting ways to solve problems. I teach a language really. It is a visual language and everyone eventually gets to invent their own alphabet. It is exciting to watch and I learn a lot every day." 

So although the painting selected for The Four Bridges Art Festival won't be revealed until the Preview Party, chances are it won't be outlines of our four bridges. Or probably anything else I would have suggested to him. 

This artist doesn't need my input. I was his first muse, and that's enough for me. 

(Ferris Robinson can be contacted at ferrisrobinson@gmail.com)