artist statement
Kammy Kennelley-Downs
Artist Statement
Seeds, tubers, roots, and plants are metaphor for growth, change, and unseen aspects in life. The plant world is gentle and patient with humanity; whispering the mystery of the spiritual while giving beauty and healing. Plants represent beauty and healing for me. The daily showing up to work a surface is metaphor for working with soil and seeds; mind and heart.
Formally, my work connects with feminine qualities of using traditional feminist materials. I work with the surface of paper and fabric to express the subtle magic called growth. My practice uses a mix-media approach of low-cost materials such as papers, fabrics, color pencils, water-soluble graphite stick, pastels, encaustics, and watercolors. I use overlapping and transparent modulating shapes in expressive colors to show the subtle movement of growth and then combine them with graphite rich areas of lines created with a range of pencils to show a depth of textures. Lenox paper allows the 6H pencil to impress it creating a metaphor for working with soil and tender hearts of children. Pencils impress upon paper to show daily task. Watercolors portray beauty and healing that result from being with nature.
I work in a large format to create an atmosphere of mystery; to awe-inspire respect of the natural world. I would like the viewer to stop for a moment and be confronted by nature’s qualities of beauty, healing, and knowledge of the spiritual. Let nature give understanding and comfort to the heart.
BIO
Kammy Kennelley-Downs has been teaching art with pre-school thru high school age students for 28+ years at a variety of education establishments including Montessori, public, charter, private, home-school groups, and workshops in California, Kansas & Missouri. Downs received her Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Emporia State University. In addition, she has continued to complete art and education classes which included a certificate of Digital Arts and Design from University of California Riverside Extension. Downs has participated in several murals and written several public art grants, two of which included work with internationally known Kansas artists, Stan Herd and Shin-hee Chin. Currently, Downs is a graduate student at Ft. Hays State University earning a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing.
Downs grew up in rural Kansas. After graduating from Emporia State University, she moved to San Bernardino, CA where she met, Gary Downs, her husband of 33 years. They have five grown daughters and two grandchildren. Currently, Downs resides in rural Kansas. Her artworks may be seen on Kammy’s Art facebook page, kammydowns on Instagram, and on her website, www.kammydowns.myportfolio.com.