Keele lives in Castlemaine in Central Victoria. She has been making art her whole life, and has become known for her unique and colourful abstract images.
Keele uses a variety of materials in her work. She maps out a bold, loosely defined acrylic under-painting, gradually incorporating oils, chalk, pastel and ink as the painting evolves. She loves to explore the physical properties of the various media, and takes pleasure in immersing herself fully in the act of painting.
Keele’s paintings have been likened to ‘music in physical form’, and indeed the stereo is usually cranked up to 11 in her studio.
Music forms the inspiration for much of her work, and is an integral part in the creative process. Some of her paintings find their titles in the song lyrics which accompany their creation.
Keele's art finds its way into existence in the space between chaos and control. Striving to find the balance between these opposing forces is a goal in itself. Allowing a painting to have its say, to suggest or even demand a certain approach, is vital within the process.
A rhythm is established between ‘imposing’ and ‘allowing’. The happy accidents that drive the direction of a composition are embraced.
Each and every painting has its own set of challenges to be tackled. There can be no formula when each painting insists on its own unfolding journey.
Keele works on up to a dozen paintings at a time. She feels most productive with a paintbrush in each hand. She is pretty much always covered in paint.