| Judi Geer Kellas has a creative passion that began in 1996: women in aviation. She is a painter and printmaker living and working in Lawrence, Kansas. Her work uses Kansas and women's history to encourage appreciation, respect and recognition for the magnificent women in aviation, from 1910 to the present. Inspired by the birthplace of Amelia Earhart in Atchison and the historical birthplace of modern aviation in Wichita, Geer Kellas is creating her series, "Celebration of Flight: Women in Aviation." More than 40 paintings, drawings and prints now honor women aviators. The series embodies the artist's missions to preserve the birth and living heritage of women in aviation and to inform and inspire today's art audience by commemorating the lives of these women. Geer Kellas works in mixed-media paintings, silverpoint drawings and original prints (serigraphs, lithographs, relief prints). She has shown her works in more than 40 solo shows and 85 group exhibits in art galleries and museums regionally, nationally and internationally. "My art work never was plein aire painting; early on I used photography as a sketching tool, solving Cezanne's problem of making the world sit as still as an apple. Photography became an integral part of my work, not only using photos as sketches, but also giving the art work content and spirit. I sometimes use manipulated photographic images collaged on or affixed directly to the canvas or paper combined with painting, drawing and metal leafing," explained Geer Kellas. Both her parents were amateur artists, and at eight years of age she painted her first oil painting on canvas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and a Master of Arts in Painting. When she married George Kellas and they moved to the Midwest, Geer Kellas taught at Kansas University in the 1970s. She owned and operated 7E7 Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas for 11 years. Upon selling the gallery, she returned to her studio full time. |
Solo Exhibits April 3 - May 27, 2009 Celebration of Flight: Women in Aviation Coutts Art Museum El Dorado, Kansas June 24 - July 31, 2009 The Fiber Studio 418 S. Commerce St. Wichita, Kansas June 20-July 19, 2008 Celebration of Flight Women in Aviation St. Benedict's Abbey Art Gallery Atchison, Kansas August 2007 Celebration of Flight: Women in Aviation The Burkholder Project Lincoln, Nebraska July 8-August 27, 2006 Celebration of Flight : Women in Aviation Muchnic Gallery Atchison Art Association Atchison, Kansas |
Group Shows January 2008 Burkholder Project "Artists Choose Artists: Self-portraits" 2007 Classroom Collection Spencer Museum of Art, CornerBank, Lawrence, KS December 2007 Burkholder Project "Holiday Show" Lincoln, Nebraska 2007 Burkholder Project "Postcards for my Valentine" 2007 Burkholder Project "Artists Choose Young Artists" Lincoln, Nebraska 2004 Alice Sabatini Gallery "Nine Connections: work by 9 women artists" Topeka, Kansas 2003 Ghost Fleet Gallery "Women's History Month: Women in Aviation" Nags Head, NC 2003 Cedar Key National, Cedar Key, Florida 2002 Ghost Fleet Gallery "Icarus International" award Nags Head, NC |
| GEER KELLAS FINE ART STUDIO |
| To make a purchase you may use PayPal or contact me @ Judi I will accept check or money order or we can arrange an easy time-payment plan (layaway) The buyer pays the shipping. State sales tax is 6.9%. |
For a truly original gift for that really special person or occasion I have an special assortment of small art works from $90.00 to $300.00. Click on special gifts |
