Kenneth Pasley

Parish Gallery is pleased to present pencil artist, Kenneth Pasley. This exhibition entitled “Painting with Pencil” will open on Friday, March 6^th with an opening reception from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and will run through March 17, 2009.  Kenneth Pasley is an American artist with recognized talent that employs pencils as his primary medium.  His portraits are of exceptional detail and quality, giving graphite a painterly feeling through his meticulous technique.  His work reflects the characters and images of faces he has encountered in his travels over the years.  His objective remains to exceed beyond the realm of a pencil drawing to reach new boundaries while reflecting the inner soul of the human condition.  His formative years as an artist were nurtured before grade school.  Along the way, he received some recognition for his drawings and paintings and learned a great deal of art history about such old masters as Rembrandt, de Vinci, Monet, Degas and his most inspiring artist, Michelangelo.  The inspiration for realism was stimulated by their depictions of faces, fabrics, expressions, and the impressionists that provided strong content of color without the intricate detail. 

One art critic describes him as: “A wizard with a pencil, executing technically triumphant drawings.” Another critic states: “A photographic appearance is strongly evident, but it arrives with an artistry of great skill.”  Although, interests in other mediums, sculpture and forms of expression are prevalent, he enjoys the time and energy that is put into using the basic of materials, a pencil and paper.  Combining both his medium and the primary nature of his subject matter, Kenneth decided to create his own branding for his specific art business that is simply described as ‘Pencilife’.

Mr. Pasley attended Atlanta College of Art, where he learned the basics of drawing, color theory and soon began to realize that his style and technique were not the normal manner as taught, but understood that his results were astonishing and the impact on the viewer was profound.  From his first drawing that was completed the audience was intrigued by each piece, closely admiring the technique.  His works have been exhibited in numerous museums in Georgia, New York and many art centers throughout the Southeast.  His works are part of both private and corporate collections.  As an award-winning artist, he has received numerous acknowledgements and awards.  Kenneth has also been featured on several Atlanta TV channels, as well as in publications such as The Atlanta Magazine, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Creative Loafing, ArtSpeak of New York, Upscale Magazine and The Artists of Georgia.  His works were also featured on the set of “In the Heat of the Night” and Academy Theater’s production of “The Member of the Wedding.”  Recently, his work was featured in the show, “Embrace” as part of the National Black Arts Festival, the John Lewis Series and the National Black Fine Arts Show in New York.

Kenneth’s work is like a time capsule of our life, the neighborhoods we grew up in and the places and people with whom we spent our best years. The viewers become immediately engrossed in his detail, feeling the emotion and passion that was taken to execute such a wonderful work of art…