Hyperrealistic oil paintings of cars by Cheryl Kelley

American artist hyper realist Cheryl Kelley is from Texas. She studied Fine Art at University of Houston, from which she graduated in 1992. Kelley creates beautiful photo-realistic paintings of automobiles of different colors which reflect the surface of the subject and the world around it, like a mirror. The artist works from photographs that she takes at car shows and museums. She uses oil on canvas, she says “I believe it is the most sensual of all mediums and it allows me the freedom to have varying techniques within my work”. Kelley’s introduction of luxury sports cars like Porsche and Bentley creates a conceptual dialogue of modernity’s influence on design, social trends, technology and taste. Cheryl Kelley’s oil hyperrealistic paintings are displayed in different solo shows and group exhibitions in NY, San Francisco, Texas, Canada.

Born at the end of the sixties, I was fortunate to enter the world during the formative years of the American Feminist movement. However, as I grew into my love of the monster machines, so did my awareness that the muscle car was the last bastion of young male dominance. These big engine cars, seemingly fueled by raw testosterone, were ironically most definitely feminine in form.

The artist explains her art: “The reflections on the surfaces of the automobiles allow the viewer to go deeper, to see something more than the form. These works can appear both photo realistic and gesturally abstract depending on the position of the viewer which seems to me to be a perfect metaphor for the American Dream in all its complexity. The first thing that I am drawn to is the beauty. I find myself getting lost in the reflections of beautiful cars when I stop at traffic lights”.

Hyperrealistic oil paintings of cars by Cheryl Kelley

source cherylkelley.com