Chuck Kelley
Painter

Charles David Kelley has lived a colorful life. He grew up in the downtown Los Angeles home of his mother and grandparents who were WWII refugees from Latvia. Chuck received extensive piano training as a youth and then studied cultural anthropology and linguistics at Biola University in Southern California, where he also played piano in the jazz band. Chuck went on to earn an MA in Biblical Studies.

Chuck’s first occupation was that of a pastor. For more than 20 years, he served churches in California, Texas and finally in Corvallis. All the while he continued to develop his music as a sacred and jazz pianist, choral conductor and composer. He cares deeply for people and wants to do whatever he can to help meet real needs…relationally, practically and spiritually.

When the Soviet Union began to implode in the mid 80’s Chuck started visiting Latvia, first to provide encouragement and assistance for relatives and their friends. Then in 1994, more doors opened so Chuck stepped down from local parish work to establish Bridge Builders International (BBI), a Christian charity that builds partnerships between the US and Latvia to multiple areas of Latvian society…church, education, children’s program, youth group leadership, pastoral training, social care, agricultural and economic development. Through BBI more than 2,500 Americans have gone to Latvia to use their skills and talents in service. Many in Latvia have expressed gratefulness for the work of BBI, including Latvia’s president who conferred on Chuck the nation’s highest honor, the Gold Medal of the Order of the Three Stars. He recently wrote a book, Surprised by the Father’s Plan, which tells his and the BBI story.

Chuck serves as President of BBI, which has offices in Philomath, Oregon and Riga, Latvia. He is a sought-after speaker and travels extensively.

Having grown up in a home of European influence Chuck has always been a lover of art. He has visited many of the world finest museums and galleries where he has been known to linger for hours taking in Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Derain, deVladmink, Dufy, and Chagal…all the while secretly telling himself that one day he would learn to paint.

In the summer of 2004, Chuck invited his artist friend, Thomas Kinkade to come to Latvia to paint and help support a children’s art camp. He agreed and during those days Chuck spent extensive time with Thom watching, learning and growing in resolve to learn to paint. Toward the end of the week Chuck set up a “paint-off” featuring Kinkade and Latvia’s most prominent plein air painter, Dr. Aleksejs Naumovs, who is the Rector of the renowned Latvian Academy of Art. Chuck recalls the amazing experience to watch two gifted artists paint their renditions of Riga’s majestic 800 year-old Dome Cathedral. Thom’s was a subdued but compelling impressionist piece; Naumov’s rendering was looser and brighter, reminiscent of Dufy. This experienced was chronicled in a short film that Chuck produced in 2004, Painting the Light in Latvia.

After Kinkade returned to America, Chuck invited Naumovs to dinner and shared his private dream to learn to paint and asked if it was possible for a 50-year-old who never studied art, had poor handwriting and didn’t know how to draw, to learn to paint. Naumovs said it was possible if the 50-year-old had the right master. “Last year I taught our Prime Minister to paint; this year I’ll teach you.” Chuck was thrilled.

Two months later Chuck began to study privately with Naumovs. At first they painted expressive still lifes, and then they began to paint in en plein air. At the same time Chuck began to also study with another Latvian master, Kaspars Zarins, a professor of painting at the Latvian Academy of Art. Kaspars has taught Chuck more classical skills. Back in Corvallis Chuck enrolled in a couple of classes through LBCC. He joined the Corvallis Art Guild in September 2005.

Also recent years Chuck has devoured countless books on art, art history, artist biographies and various genres. He has especially focused on the great Latvian artists of the past 100 years – Vilhelms Purvitis, Janis Rozentals, Janis Valters, Leo Svemps, Indulis Zarins, Ludolfs Liberts, Imants Vecozols, Kaspars Zarins and Aleksejs Naumovs.

Chuck has poured a lot of energy into his new passion. He has set up little studios in his Philomath home and Riga apartment. He tries to make at least one painting every week. Though his work is largely representational, he doesn’t have a favorite motif. He enjoys painting still lifes and flowers, but more than not landscapes and cityscapes, which often are rendered en plein air. He has painted in the US, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Latvia and Switzerland. His preferred medium is acrylic.

In February 2006, Chuck, and his wife, Nancy, vacationed in Brienz, Switzerland with Naumovs and his wife (also a fine artist). During the week they painted a combined 31 paintings of the Swiss Alps en plein air. It was often 0 C and below. Such fun!

“I enjoy beauty and I am drawn to color. I’m not very concerned with great precision but rather great attitude. As I let my emotions and instincts take over during the painting process time stands still. I simply want to express what I see and feel around me. This brings me joy.”

Chuck has been married to Nancy for 31 years. They live in both Philomath, Oregon and Riga, Latvia, spending about six months per years in each location. They have four grown children; Peter, Scotty, Phillip and Karen; and two grandchildren, Emma and Seth.

Charles David Kelley
205 S. 23rd Street • Philomath, OR 97370
H – 541.929.4743 • O – 541.929.5627 • F – 541.929.5628
Latvian mobile phone – 001 371 2 923 0509
charleskelley@mac.com