Arthur Kdav ( Keith Davis): An Artist Story

Pastels, Prints and Etchings by Arthur Kdav.   Some of these are now available unframed on ETSY - Wren's Art Nest.   Some of the pastels are undated - but our family believes these were completed  between 2011 - 2019.  These dates are estimates based on what we know he was working on over the years.  They were created after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.     You can see lines in the pictures of the work here that are also found in his large steel frame canvas sculptural paintings as well as his early "Matisse" style blue prints.  While Parkinson's Disease forced Arthur Kdav to change the way he created - it didn't keep him from continuity in his results.  Impressive.  

 ARTHUR KDAV ITEM FOR SALE ON EBAY LINK HERE TO A SHOW POSTCARD https://www.ebay.com/itm/325749602018?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=C-KJVZJ-T2G&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

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)

  I just found this piece today listed for resale! it is gorgeous.

 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 o...

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 port...