Kelly(L. Kelly Lyles)(@kellylyles)

Artist Statement

I’m a NW artist known equally for paintings, artcars and colourful clothing. For 30 years my paintings (and sculptural Artcars) have been shown all over the US in galleries and museums. Life (well, pre and post pandemic) is fun! Growing up Internationally (we lived abroad 12 years : Switzerland, England, Denmark and Japan), I've found laughter's universal; often my pieces have a humorous twist. From my background in commercial art I love verbiage; often involving visual puns, pop art and Americana. Although I've different themes, styles and media (acrylics, oils and watercolours), all are based on representational art steeped in classical training. I particularly love figurative and portraiture (and was commissioned to paint an 11 ft portrait of Cal Anderson for SOUND TRANSIT light rail in Seattle). Subjects vary, from to a series on addiction (I’ve 38 years in recovery) entitled 'THE 12 STEPS’. Another series is based on art puns : FRIDA’S CORN-CHIPS, BOX OF KLEE-NEX, RUBEN’S REUBEN, WAR-HOL, etc, also painting on a box of PopTarts, focusing on pop stars (Brittany, Bieber, Psy/Gangnam Style, Nicki Minaj) whose flamboyant personalities and schtick - often hyper sexualized - are as important as the music. I created a CANDYLAND installation, 50 candy paintings and a 12 x 15 ft painted “board” for attendees to play while in the exhibit. Another's 28 RODENT paintings (SPAMSTER, BENSON & HEDGEHOGS, MICE- A- RONI, etc) framed in fake fur. My studio, home & Artcars have been featured in numerous TV shows and magazines and newspapers. A bibliography includes Weird Washington, Harrod Blank's 2 Artcars books and his '08 film, Automorphasis. National Television (Travel channel, Discovery, Odyssey Network, HGTV), International (Canada's Weird Wheels) & local television (NW Afternoon, Evening Magazine), local News, Public Radio, local, national (NY Times) and world newspapers (South African, Italian) and magazines (Woman's World, American Road, National Geographic Kids).