"The Outwin 2016" Finalist: Kelly Carmody

Out of over 2,500 entries in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, 43 artists have their work shown in the exhibition “The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today.” Read more about one of the finalists, Kelly Carmody.

How did the sitter inspire this specific portrait?

The subject of the painting, Pam Council, and I were at an artist residency together which was located on a farm, so our immediate surroundings inspired the image and provided the props.

The glove, tomatoes, apron, and the rooster all came from the farm. Pam’s grandfather had a duck farm and she was excited about the idea of posing with a duck, but there wasn't one available and we settled on the rooster. The farmers were great about helping us with the rooster. We did the work at night so he would be tired and more cooperative.

What about the sitter inspired you?

Her sense of style stood out to me as well as her confidence. Pam wore that long black skirt and hair bow around the farm in the summer and they caught my eye, especially against the backdrop of the rural environment and amongst all the people wearing t-shirts and shorts.

How did your work develop from idea to execution?

Her outfits and props went through many transformations. The black skirt was always in the picture but we tried many different shirts, accessories, and props, all which changed the connotation of the painting drastically. It was challenging to make sure the painting looked contemporary as well as reflect the tradition of painting I admire. The costume and props needed to hold the painting together as a portrait, as well as work abstractly as interesting shapes, colors, and values.

How does the piece fit within your larger body of work?

This piece is one of the series of full length figure portraits that I've been working on for several years. The objects in these paintings imply a narrative, but I'm less interested in their stories than I am in making the overall compositions work at this larger scale while using traditional methods of painting figuratively in oils.

You can see Carmody’s work in “The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today,” up now through Jan. 8, 2017. Also, be sure to vote in our People’s Choice Competition.