Lion’s Den 1990

Ken Kelly made this image of a "Lion’s Den" with paint, probably oil or acrylic, and a surface with a bit of give, like canvas or illustration board. The painting is super illustrative, but I can sense that Kelly was lost in the making of it. It’s almost entirely warm tones, with the ochre and amber dominating, which gives the whole scene a kind of golden glow. I keep looking at the way he painted the lions: the fur is achieved through layers of dry brush strokes, which creates a sense of depth and texture, while the shadows are blended and softened, making them seem more menacing. Look at the snarling lion in the lower left. See how the lines of the mouth and teeth are exaggerated, giving it a sense of wildness and ferocity? It feels like Kelly was really into the primal energy of these animals. Kelly reminds me of Frazetta, who embraced the pure fantasy of pulp illustration, and ran with it. I think there is a danger of getting too hung up on meaning. Sometimes a painting is just a painting, and it is there to be enjoyed on its own terms.