A Princess of Mars 2016

Ken Kelly made this ‘Princess of Mars’ painting, and when you look at it you can imagine him really building it up, layer by layer, with these bold brushstrokes of ochre, green, and white. I bet he loved getting the colour just right and the drama dialed up to eleven. I can imagine him, brush in hand, thinking about Frank Frazetta, who was a big inspiration, and just letting the image emerge from his mind. The way he's handled the paint, especially in those planets, gives it this glow, this otherworldly feel. It reminds you of a time when fantasy art was king, and artists weren't afraid to be a bit over-the-top. There's something so joyful and unpretentious about the whole thing, and I think Kelly captured that spirit perfectly. We painters are all just trying to figure out how to make marks that mean something, that resonate with people, and Kelly definitely knew how to do that.