Kelly Kondis creates atmospheric landscapes that seem to hover somewhere between memory and place. Working intuitively in oils, she builds her paintings slowly through layers of colour, texture and light, allowing each landscape to reveal itself rather than beginning with a fixed composition.
Rather than depicting a particular location, Kelly captures the feeling of being within a landscape — changing skies, distant ranges, misty forests and the meeting point between land and water. We sat down with Kelly to discover how the natural environment surrounding her home finds its way onto the canvas and why her creative process is more conversation than plan.
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Art has always been a quiet thread through Kelly’s life.
“I’ve always been drawn to creativity and making things,” Kelly shares. “I studied art throughout high school, although I never pursued it formally at a tertiary level. For many years, painting was really a private sanctuary. Something I created for myself or gifted to family and friends.
“Alongside painting, I worked in our family business and spent a lot of time renovating and hosting short-stay accommodation with my husband.
“It wasn’t until around six years ago that I began sharing my work more publicly and offering it for sale. But something shifted when I began painting more consistently in 2020. The forest surrounding my home and the rolling ranges beyond began finding their way into my work.
Without consciously creating it, the landscapes I live amongst started emerging through my abstract oil paintings.
Kelly’s process is rooted in feeling, not observation.
“I’m deeply influenced by the Impressionists, but my process is quite different,” Kelly explains. “Rather than painting a specific place, I’m interested in capturing the feeling of an atmospheric moment. The mood, light and emotions that linger.
“My work may sometimes resemble a recognisable landscape, but that’s less a conscious intention and more a reflection of my subconscious. What emerges on the canvas is often a memory, a sensation or an emotional response to nature rather than a direct representation of it.
“Nature is a huge source of inspiration for me. I walk through the forest where I live, travel both locally and abroad, and pay close attention to changing skies, weather and atmosphere. I’m particularly drawn to the subtle shifts in tone, light and colour found in nature, especially where land and water meet.
“My process is highly spontaneous. I don’t paint en plein air [in the open air] or work directly from a single moment in time. Instead, I absorb my surroundings over days, weeks and sometimes years. When I arrive at the canvas, I work directly with oil paint from the tube, applying colour instinctively.
“The initial blending isn’t directional or planned — it’s an exploration. As that first layer begins to settle and dry, a landscape often starts to reveal itself. From there, I move closer, building layers of cloud, foliage and texture without forcing a narrative.
Eventually, I step back and view the work as a whole. Sometimes the final stage involves adding small highlights. Other times it means removing details entirely. I continue that conversation with the painting until it feels complete.
“For me, the work is always the conversation between what I’m absorbing from the world around me and what emerges on the canvas. That’s where the real magic happens.”
Thank you to Kelly Kondis for sharing her landscape oil paintings with us. You can see more of Kelly’s layered oil paintings on her website or follow her studio practice on Instagram.
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