1969 Etching signed Keith Davis (prior to him using his artist sign Arthur Kdav) Circa 2010 Pastels signed Kdav (Arthur Kdav early work is signed with his birth name Keith Davis)
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A wonderful little story was shared with me today regarding one of my dad's paintings, "One Couple's Journey". This piece was commissioned by a fellow sailor on Lake Pepin. Here is the story about the piece being delivered to their home. When the work was completed, Arthur (as we knew him then) brought it in his cube van to our home and hung it over our fireplace in the living room. We were overwhelmed how profoundly the piece encapsulated our passion for sailing along with the beauty of Lake Pepin. He explained the orange highlights Point No Point and Rattlesnake Coulee in the setting sun, two of the landmarks dear to sailors on Lake Pepin. Hidden behind the main panel are Mississippi clams, just like they are in real life. The curvatures of the iron work are reminiscent of sailboat rigging underway, and one can almost hear the water splashing and bubbling along the hull. He explained his approach pays homage to ancient Native American methods of lacing fabric ov
Steel, Glass, Canvas, Paint and Light - Arthur Kdav This past weekend my husband and I hung one of my father's paintings. It is the only painting which includes stained glass. He designed this piece then asked a glass artist to make the glass design for his work. He welded the steel so that the glass portion can safely slide into position. You have to look closely to see where the plane that canvas is on hovers over the glass in the deeper plane. He was very excited about this one. I recall him talking about how it would be so different. He also wanted to have light behind the glass so there would be the illumination effect behind. In these photos I don't have the back light on. The line movement is worth examining more closely too. This is a great piece of artwork.
ARTHUR KDAV's LAST PAINTING My dad, Keith Davis - Arthur Kdav, went to college at Knox College in Galesburg, IL. When he was there he met some wonderful people. Included in that group of people was a fellow art student, Tom Collins. Tom and my dad continued to be in contact throughout my father's life. When my father passed away, Tom Collins, stopped by my house to see some of my dads work again. He decided to create some custom ice cream bowls - tea bowls for his children and close friends. Below is a picture of my father's last painting along with the amazing ice cream bowls that Tom created. Amazing that the colors Tom chose matched so wonderfully with Arthur Kdav's last painting. A heartfelt thank you to Tom Collins. This last painting also had a similar palette as two of his early portraits from Knox College. I have posted the earlier paintings as well. Our family isn't certain who the models were for the portrait he did - but confident it was comp
REFLECTIONS ON BALANCE IN MY FATHER'S WORK Yesterday I was looking through some of Arthur Kdav's pastels. This one was not titled. I feel like it is "The Juggler". The ultimate circus balancing act performance; how many balls can you keep in the air? Over the past year I have begun to study more closely my father's work. I have started to see themes, repeat images and changes to his style through the decades. I have also started to see how these commonalities relate to his life events. Perhaps, for me, this has been part of the grieving process. The idea and focus on balance can be found in much of his work. Sometimes it is a quiet fulcrum within the painting, pastel, etching or drawing. Other times it is a smack in your face, as above, the whole image is about balance. His theme finds itself abstractly in the images he creates, but also physically in the shape of his iron pieces. These pieces often have one notch on the back of the painting, carved i
Today I started to go through some of Arthur Kdav (Keith Davis') slides of his artwork. While these are not the most awesome photographs of the projected image on my yellowish walls - I still wanted to share some of them. Arthur Kdav standing in front of one of his sculptural wall pieces I am still working on finding the title for this piece - I wish I knew where it was because I really love it! If you are the owner or know the owner please send me a comment. Would love to get an updated listing regarding where it is located. Arthur Kdav (Keith Lowden Davis) working at his sewing machine making his unique and amazing canvas shapes to be strung later on his hand made and designed sculptural iron frames. Examples above and below of his completed canvases prior to stretching them over the iron. AND ... this one. I don't recall ever seeing it. What stands out is the lacing work he includes on the front of the piece. I believe it is two female forms in an acrobatic back flip
Arthur Kdav/Keith Davis first learned to sew and repair sails for boats out on the east coast in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In 1966-67, he traveled from the midwest after college to go see the shores of Walden Pond. While he was there he met someone who told him about a wonderful town in Massachusetts that he should go visit. Marblehead. So he went there and found an artist gallery to visit. He went into Ned Fish's gallery. He asked Ned questions about the town and told him about his own artwork and desires to stay in Marblehead. They immediately shared a common love in the arts and a kinship. Ned was going to be out of town the next week with his wife on vacation. He told my dad that if his wife approved he could stay and take care of the gallery while they were out of town. So, he met Ned's wife and she approved of Keith Davis (Arthur Kdav) so he was offered the chance to be there for the week they were away. Of course, he accepted and this was the beginning of
As I go through examples of Arthur Kdav - Keith Davis' artwork I am amazed by the distinct changes in his "periods/phases" as he developed and changed as an artist. He built the frames and stretched the canvases for these acrylic paintings. I think as a family we know where one of these paintings now resides - the rest are scattered in homes all over. We would love to get posts from people who have these are on their walls in their homes! We want this to be a place for people to connect who have his work - would like to acquire his work - or are looking to sell his work.
Below is a letter that I will send out in the coming weeks to try and find some of people who have collected Arthur Kdav / Keith Davis artwork. It would be wonderful to track down some of his artwork so that as people want to grow their collections or sell some of their collection this blog can help facilitate those connections. Hello, my name is Anna Davis Waters. My father is Arthur Kdav (Keith Davis). He had been struggling with Parkinson’s Disease for many years and recently passed away. He continued to paint up through the last week of his life. The art kept him going as he battled to control his disease. I have a question for you, as a current or potential owner of his artwork. In the process of going through some of his things I have found a listing of some names and addresses of those who purchased his artwork in the past. Early in his career he used his given name, Keith Davis, and later he used the name Arthur Kdav for signing his artwork. I am reaching out because, I
ARTHUR KDAV KEITH DAVIS 1944 - 2020 " My canvases are a playground for shadow and light" BACKGROUND Arthur Kdav was born in Illinios and attended the Art Institute of Chicago. He earned a BA degree from Knox College in Galesburg, IL and continued his education as apprentice to New England painter Edward Fish in Marblehead, MA. Kdav resettled in the Midwest, setting up a studio where he produced etchings, engravings, and serigraph prints. In 1981, he developed a new medium, combining canvas, steel and acrylic paint. Kdav continues to create these original sculptural paintings in his studio in rural Wisconsin. He continued to paint until he passed away, he completed his last masterpiece the week of his death. Exhibitions Anderson and Anderson, Minneapolis Cumberland Gallery, Nashville Hangup Gallery, Sarasota Mary Bell Gallery, Chicago Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Xochipilli Gallery, Detroit Judith Posner Gallery, Milwaukee Ann Jacob Gallery, Atlanta Martin Sc