Bio

photo by Owen Riley Jr. 2005

Artists profile

Keith Spencer now lives on a small horse farm in the upstate of South Carolina. His education includes a BA in Fine Art and a BS in Biology, both from Berry College in Rome, GA. His paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Downtown Committee of Greenville, SC, the Gibbons-Peck Agency, Artescape of Tryon, NC and numerous private collections. He is currently represented by galleries in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Washington.

About the work

"An exceptional use of color and direct brushwork combine in the artwork of Keith Spencer. His paintings are most often done in the alla prima tradition (one sitting) where he works quickly, but very focused, applying oils directly and intuitively. 'If realism is about subject matter and abstracts are about paint Keith Spencer's work bridges the gap', says one gallery owner. His landscapes will often include the mountainous upstate where he now lives, as well as the lowcountry surrounding Charleston. Likewise, much of his figurative work is done directly from life, and ranges from abstract nudes to the painterly realism of his work from the Artist Ride in South Dakota. Having managed a cattle and horse farm in Kentucky for the first 12 years of his career, Keith's own horses are frequently found in his paintings".

Professional experience

1980-1992 Farm Manager for Sundown Farm in Bardstown, Ky.
1992-1996 Creative Graphic Artist for Umbro USA, Greenville, SC.
1996-2000 Freelance Commercial Artist - Formed Keith Spencer Studio and created artwork for a wide range of local, national and international clients. KSS illustration, fine art and design can be found around the world in advertisements, books, package designs, posters, catalogs, web designs, logos, promotions and surface prints and embroideries for active, team, leisure and licensed apparel.
Partial client list includes: Reebok Int'l, Champion Apparel, Umbro USA, Kappa Intl, And-1 Inc., K.P.N.G. Inc., Immaculate Baking Company, Gibbons Peck Sofield Ltd., Precaryous Apparel, NV-THS, Chambers Containers, Greg and Greg Advertising, Erdas Inc., GT Bikes, and Harley-Davidson among others.
Licensed work on behalf of clients: Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, NJ Nets, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, WNBA LA Sparks, University of Michigan, Ohio State, Harvard, UCLA, Notre Dame, New England Revolution. Colorado Rapids, Manchester United, Miami Fusion, Ajax Amsterdam, Futbol Association of Ireland, Chelsea Futbol Club, England Futbol Club and the Major League Soccer Association.
2000 January - began fine art painting full time.

One review

"Energy, especially that of color, is the most important element in Keith [Spencer's] landscape and figurative paintings, that come to life with no formal studies other than a rudimentary midnight sketch, using more notes than lines. Painting directly on canvas, with broad strokes of oil, produces softly realistic and semi-abstracted works. Spencer's beloved horses, the human figure and rural scenes of South Carolina's upstate and lowcountry vibrate with life and invite the viewer into a world of glowing color and gentle shapes. Spencer paints the radiant energy of his subjects rather than the details of line and form. Horses, cattle, groves of trees, rolling hills, salt marshes, and nudes all emit a life force that combines with that of Spencer himself to appear on the canvas in cool, vivid hues of purples, greens, yellows, and the myriad colors of nature."

"What makes something unique has always interested me. I think at some level, I am trying to reveal that uniqueness through my paintings, whether it is a landscape, a figure, a still life or a feeling."