Kelly works from her studio at home in Bryanston, Johannesburg, and clients are welcome to visit by appointment. She is always delighted to meet people interested in her work, and there are usually original paintings available for sale, though due to the time it takes to complete a piece, they are in high demand and do sell quickly.
Artwork can be sent anywhere in the world via international courier, and via Postnet within South Africa. It is much cheaper and easier to send unframed artwork, which is rolled in a cardboard tube. Framing can be arranged through the artist’s personal framer, Handmade Frames, preferably for clients who can collect the piece in person due to the risk of breakage in transit when using couriers.
Kelly does a lot of commission work for private clients, and is extremely confident in her ability with ‘getting it right’ in terms of understanding a client’s brief, and creating a piece that they love. She has done several paintings for people who have requested a certain type of bird, or species of flower, or even just a colour they particularly want. The client decides on a budget and Kelly works with them on the details of the painting. To confirm a commission order, a 50% deposit is paid, with the remaining 50% paid on completion of the painting. Most pieces take 3 – 6 weeks to complete, depending on the size.
Prices are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR), and EFT deposits into the artist’s local bank account are the usual payment method. International clients can make direct payments into her British bank account (Barclays) as that has proved simpler with much lower international charges or via PayPal.
Prices range from R20 000 for a small piece, roughly 18cm x 22cm (paper size) to R150 000 for a very large piece, with most paintings being somewhere in the middle R30 000 – R60 000. As an example, a recent original piece sized 34cm square was priced at R32 000 and another sized 46cm x 54cm was R58 000. Framing adds roughly 12-18cm ALL ROUND, which takes the finished size up a lot from the paper size. All original painting prices include framing, if the piece is being sent overseas without a frame, the cost of the frame will be deducted from the price.
The layout options to choose from are either a blue and white Chinese pot, or a pot depicting a bird / monkey or other animal / Chinoiserie design. And either a growing orchid, based in soil, including the root / leaves and stem or a bunch of loose cut flowers and leaves, with or without a small bird sitting amongst the arrangement. Kelly always includes butterflies and insects in her paintings, and likes to include a still life object on the ‘ground’ alongside the pot – these can be shells / vegetables / fruit / nuts etc. She is open to all variations on the theme of what she paints, this just gives a guideline of the formats usually used to design her pieces.
“I would love to floralise the world! These designs are intended for fabric, or wrapping paper, or anything else that wants to be stylish and gorgeous”.
Kelly is devoted to colour using fresh, light, deep and dramatic palettes. Colours are everything in her work, and using them in different combinations endlessly inspire her in every way. Her aim is to combine the most beautiful classical elements of design in a fresh new way, so that the result is whimsical, enchanting, and simply wonderful to look at. She is compelled to paint and create, it feeds her spirit and defines her as an artist.
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