Meet Kelley Kozloff
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ann Arborite, U-M alum and modern oil artist Kelley Kozloff embraces this proverb, preferring that her “viewer[s] imagine their own favorite spaces within [her] paintings.”
This past year was the Guild member’s first time exhibiting at the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. Kozloff has been attending the fair since her days as a U-M student in the 1990s, so being an exhibitor at this year’s event felt truly surreal. In addition to the 2024 Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, Kozloff has exhibited at the 2022 and 2023 Westside Art Hop, 2023 Ann Arbor Artoberfest, 2024 Art Birmingham and 2024 Brighton Street Art Fair.
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Kelley is a maker who has always loved creating. The artistic streak runs in her family, as her grandmother was a lifelong crafter and her mother was a sewer. Kozloff earned degrees in Kinesiology and Occupational Therapy, and worked for several years with patients recovering from orthopedic and neurological impairments before turning to art full time. Kozloff said that her work as a therapist allowed her to creatively design individual treatment plans for each of her patients to reengage in daily life tasks.
“I am a creative thinker who also likes to create systems and order,” Kozloff said.
Journey to oil & cold wax painting
Although her current chosen medium of art is oil and cold wax painting, Kozloff’s first art-related venture was as a portrait photographer, and she dabbled in quilting and woodworking. However, Kozloff’s preference for creating “tangible things with her hands” led her to focus on painting full time in 2022.
Kozloff’s introduction to the world of painting with oil and cold wax was at a fall 2021 class at the Ann Arbor Art Center taught by Beth Billups. Her experience was so pivotal that it helped her realize that this was the medium she had been looking for. In 2023, Kozloff was accepted for the Guild of Artists and Artisans’ Emerging Artist Program.
Uninterrupted horizons
Kozloff’s paintings emerge in layers composed of cold wax and oil paint. First, she sands away the base level of the joint compound, either canvas or wood panels. Next, she adds layers of colors and patterns with oil paint and cold wax, oil pastel and pigment sticks. Ultimately, she settles on an ideal texture and level of detail in her final creation.
At any given time, Kozloff may be working on 10-15 different pieces. Scrolling through her online portfolio, a collector may find a range of colorful paintings, from the tranquil vastness of now to Morning Meadow, revealing a bright floral escape. Raspberry Sky’s pop of purples and pinks is another unique standout. Each painting evokes a different emotion. Kozloff says that nature inspires her work, but that she doesn’t paint any specific scenes. Instead, her paintings are drawn from her imagination.
“To watch the ocean or a great lake with only the sky and water in view, or to look at a landscape that is simply earth and sky, provides me with peace of mind,” Kozloff shared. Currently, her theme of “uninterrupted horizons” drives her work. Her creations are characterized by the visual simplicity of their composition and the complexity of their texture.
Check out Kozloff’s artwork and upcoming event information at her website: kelleykozloff.com and on Instagram under her account @KelleyKoz_art.
Occupational Therapist and Blogger
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