Kelley also spent much time studying, teaching and exhibiting ceramics which had a great influence on her earlier works.  Surface texture became an important part of the canvas under painting.

Kelley’s recent series, Story Blocks, was born out of having spent the most part of a summer in the confines of her log cabin studio due to a broken ankle and inclement weather.

“Most of my work had usually been on large canvases but due to my situation I started working much smaller.  It seemed to satisfy my urge to get some work done.”

“The long panels seem to me much more personal and intimate at this time.  I can let my mind wander and not have a preconceived idea.  Sometimes I can let an ambiguous notion appear in the work, not making images too clear, but leaving it up to the viewer to be engaged in decoding the meaning of the “Story Block.”

Right:
Shirley Kelley
Lipstick for Madonna
Mixed-media on panel