oil on canvas
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2010
May
2009
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake City, UT
Main Street Festival
Breckenridge, CO
Sausalito Arts Festival
Sausalito, CA
Kelley Somer
the art of dining
CONTACT
The Art of Dining
I am inspired by the process of creating a meal, the energy and devotion that goes into the life-sustaining act of eating, the joyful experience of dining with friends and family. I delight in these experiences. They are restorative. I entertain often, and when not hosting, can still be found in the kitchen with my husband and our children, engaged in meal prep, love and laughter.
To harness the inspiration, I photograph simple items on their way to becoming something much more complex. I capture the foods, the floral arrangements, the chairs, the table. I record the anticipation expressed in the stacks of plates, glassware, and silverware, each waiting to fulfill their purpose. I record the compositions that arise on my cutting board, and the glass my husband and I share while we cook together.
Pinned across my studio wall, these images echo our quiet dinners, our celebrations, and our laughter filled parties. They remind me to let each day be filled with incredible food and rich relationships. They remind me to live fully. And they lead me to paint.
I approach painting with equal enthusiasm. I begin with building cradled wood panels; they have the feel of a contemporary serving dish or chopping block. I use the highest grade of rich, buttery oil paints for their ability to spread thickly across my panel. I apply the paint with palette knives rather than brushes because I love to carve and sculpt the paint, layering colors yet not quite mixing. I varnish it all in a high gloss, to enhance the juicy glimmer. The result is spontaneous and fresh. Delicious.
It is beautiful in its simplicity: To eat is to nourish the body. To dine with others is to nourish the soul.
This inspiration has led me to the art of dining.
EXHIBITIONS
2011
AmericanStyle Magazine
Winter 2010-2011 edition
“Up Close and Personal”
Emerging Artists of the Year
Solo Exhibit, Loge Gallery
April 29 – May 14
Salt Lake City, UT
July 2-4
Denver, CO
July 29-31
Bellevue, WA
August 12-14
invited award winner
Sun Valley Art Festival, ID
May
Art in the Square
Belleville, IL
Evolutionary Health Care Gallery
Salt Lake City, UT
Belleville, IL
Evolutionary Health Care Gallery
Salt Lake City, UT
July
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Denver, CO
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Denver, CO
August
**Awarded "Best in Painting"
Sun Valley Center Arts Festival
Ketchum, ID
September
Sausalito Arts Festival
Sausalito, CA
2009
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake City, UT
Main Street Festival
Breckenridge, CO
Sausalito Arts Festival
Sausalito, CA
PATH TO FINE ARTIST
Bachelor of Science
University of California, Davis
Physiology
with emphasis in Fine Art
Medical Illustrator, California
scientific journal illustrations
visual learning aids, UC system
Mural and Portrait Artist, Utah
200+ clients
Student, UVU
select oil painting classes
Full Time Studio Artist
2008 to present
PUBLICATIONS
Featured Artist, "Up Close and Personal: 2011 Emerging Artists", by Sara Baker, AmericanStyle Magazine, winter 2010 edition
Featured Artist, 2010 Alpine Art Center Calendar
Featured Artist, The Salt Lake Tribune, “Utah Arts Festival: Highlights of this year's artists' marketplace”, June 22, 2009
Featured Artist, 2009 Alpine Art Center Calendar