I had the pleasure of working with Kelly Ording on the “First Things First” show I co-curated at 111 Minna Gallery in January of 2009. She’s been steadily working on some amazing new pieces and I’m happy to give you all a glimpse of these delicate beauties.

Drawing from her travels, Kelly’s work exhibits the exotic beauty of places real and imagined; places she’s been or places she dreams of going. There’s a sense of fantasy to her paintings, like the illustrations in a children’s storybook. This lends a narrative quality to her work as well as a sense of nostalgia. Adding to a sentimental nature in her work is the process by which she treats it. Prior to painting its surface, the paper she uses goes through an invasive transformation that includes dyeing, ripping, and soaking. The result is a piece that is aged and organic and timeless.