Kelley is an avid outdoorsman who grew up in Dover, MA. After college and a few years in Washington DC, Kelley and his wife Amy settled back in Massachusetts in nearby Needham. Together with their 2 daughters, they lived in Needham for many years – until Kelley was offered a fantastic career opportunity in Georgia.
Always up for an adventure, Amy and the girls were in full support and off to Georgia they went! They have been in Georgia for about a year now and are settled in a beautiful home in Augusta.
Fast-forward to today, Kelley’s birthday is just around the corner and Amy wanted something special for Kelley and their new home – which is when she reached out to me. This was a fantastic project. Knowing Kelley, I was thrilled to come up with the perfect painting for him!
Starting with direction from Amy – who likes my outdoors paintings of water and trees – it didn’t take long to come up with my subject. I started with a trip to Kelley’s hometown of Dover with my camera. Knowing that Kelley is an outdoorsman, I decided to focus on the Charles River, which winds right through the heart of Dover. My goal was to create something beautiful for Kelley and Amy’s home, but also to give Kelley a little piece of “home”. After taking my study photos (making sure to incorporate some fall foliage), I was off to the studio.
The composition I chose was aimed at giving the feel of the Charles. The lily pads and the stream of floating moss are common sites on this section of the Charles, and I also wanted to get the full view of the river – from rocky bottom to the growth and foliage on the other side. Finally, Amy had shared pictures of rooms in their home, so I also made sure to pick a scene that would work well to the colors in their house.
The painting arrived in Georgia earlier this week. While Kelley’s birthday is not for another 2 weeks, it is already on the wall – giving both Kelley and Amy a little bit of Massachusetts for their Georgia home.
