Prints and The Ghosts of Christmas Paintings Past

Ok, this is the official Christmas message! 

The first thing I wanted to mention today is the Limited Edition Prints, which at Christmas might just provide a solution for that that tricky present you have to buy. Instead of highlighting any particular ones I just did a little screenshot of my website print page, so you can just click into this if you fancy browsing through the many options there. 

After that I wanted to do something a little different with talk of the ghosts of Christmas paintings past. 

And what's that all about you might ask? Well I guess it's my way of saying I'm going to draw your attention to three paintings from past Christmases, that are still with me in the studio but would be happy to be free of me if they could manage it. After all we artists are a difficult bunch to live with at the best of times, and even more so for our creations who tend to end up neglected, stacked on a shelf and pining for some real love, appreciation and wall space.

Johnny Cash
Oil painting on canvas
40x40cm

The first one as you can see is of the Man in Black himself, Mr. Johnny Cash. In recent years I've been moving away from painting these famous face portraits, but still a few left in the studio like this one. I think I did a pretty good job here of capturing Johnny's rugged well-lined face, with hopefully some depth and feeling captured in those eyes. And although this is a younger face, when looking at it I do always think of that wonderful cover he did of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt", with all those flashbacks in the video to his younger life and self. Wonderful song and video, dripping with nostalgia, that always hits me in the emotional gut.

Geometry of Love
Oil painting on canvas
60x60cm

The next one below is an example of what I was doing several years back, in one of my braver bolder more experimental stages. It might sound funny but trying to find a harmony with simple shapes of bold colour is no easy task. I always had a soft spot for this work, and was a little sad at the time that when first released it didn't set the art world on fire. I know, a tad delusional but you need a little magical thinking in this game to keep going. 

Then again maybe it just was't the right time back then. I do know it's bold unusual piece, and will only find the right home at the right time when the right person sees it. I might also mention some time back I put this painting up for 1250 Euro, even though it's quite large at 60x60cm, whereas a new painting today of the same size would be significantly more expensive. Just something to consider, if you like me has a soft spot for this one, and perhaps also have a wall in need of a bold statement of colour. By the way, along with the graphic shapes of mock-stained-glass, there are also three birds hidden in there, who seem involved in some feathered drama, I can't fully fathom, but there's something going for sure.

Inner Light II
Oil painting on linen
80x80cm

Ok and finally, we have Inner Light II, who like the painting above is feeling slightly neglected. After all, its siblings "Inner Light I", and "Inner Light III" are both happily ensconced in a loving home for some time now. I guess it's a case of the difficult middle-child, which I relate to. And this one has been sadly left with me for too long; For I confess, that I have neither the wall-space nor the head-space to lavish attention as I should. It needs a big wall with generous light and not a dull studio shelf with an artist who only has eyes for the latest creation on his easel. Another statement piece perhaps for a big wall out there that beckons. 

Ok folks, that's the end of my crazy ramblings for 2024. 

Thanks for reading, Happy Christmas to you all, and hope it's a good one for you:)
Will touch base again in 2025!

All the best, 
Vincent 

PS. Looking into 2025 the plan for me is to paint bunch of New Cityscapes, some more experimental and imaginative work, and yep, open to some more portrait commissions too. 

Vincent Keeling
vincentkeeling@gmail.com

www.vincentkeeling.com