SANDRA KEELY

For years, Sandra Keely worked primarily in oils, but her recent artistic evolution has led her to a strikingly tactile process: carving into acrylic paint. Each piece begins with more than one hundred layers of color meticulously applied to birch wood. Once the surface has been built up, she uses carving tools to incise deep, expressive designs. The resulting works reveal a dynamic interplay of color, texture, and depth—each groove exposing unexpected combinations embedded within the layered paint. Keely will be featured in a solo exhibition of her work here in summer 2026.

For decades, Keely worked as a professional character animator in commercial studios during a period when the industry still relied heavily on the hand of the artist. She began as a cel painter on the assembly line, learning her trade on the job through employee art classes such as live model drawing, and later continued her training through night courses in fine art to advance her skills. Keely went on to teach animation at Collins College in Tempe, Arizona, offering instruction in animation fundamentals, sketching, drawing, and portfolio development.

Keely received her BFA in museum studies from Arizona State University. She lives and works in Redwood City.