A self-taught artist, Kelly Beeman first took to drawing as a hobby at a young age. Having been influenced by her creative parents, she grew fascinated with the technique of applying watercolor, which propelled her to continue pursuing drawing as an interest after graduation. Her work caught the attention of the fashion house JW Anderson in 2015, and subsequently led her to a number of collaborations within the fashion industry, including a Travel Book with Louis Vuitton in 2020. Now known primarily for her watercolor and oil paintings, Beeman depicts nonchalant-looking subjects partaking in solitude or social leisure. Often characterized by clean fluid lines, fields of colors, and fashion ensembles, her works conjure childhood nostalgia and everyday experiences, while inviting viewers to contemplate deeper narrative layers.

Park Bench depicts a singular female character, seated within a lush landscape defined by a curved walkway that cuts through full, mature trees. Appearing in a one-shouldered dress that billows around her, the woman engages the viewer with a serene look, while clutching an orange flower against the light blue sash around her waist. The figure’s luminous hair drapes around her shoulder and neck, amplifying the youthful romanticism that was intended by the artist. Although Beeman’s colors are subdued in tone, they come together to convey a harmonious state of tranquility. For this edition, the artist will hand-embellish ten prints by using colored pencils to emphasize the delineations of the figure, and to rework the color and texture in the grass and trees. Additionally, she will add earrings with a gold pen.

Kelly Beeman
Park Bench, 2023
Archival pigment print
24.75 x 19 inches

Limited edition of 10
Hand-embellished, signed, and numbered by the artist

Limited edition of 40 with 5AP + 1PP
Signed and numbered by the artist

ART FOR CHANGE will donate 5% of the purchase price, up to $15,000, of each limited edition print sold towards the Alliance to help bolster its mission to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park to benefit the diverse communities it serves. In keeping with all of our releases, all artists will receive 50% of the net proceeds from each print sale.

“Prospect Park has been very special to me since I moved to Brooklyn in 2005. After so many years of living here and visiting the park, I am still in awe at the beauty of it, and how fortunate we are to have access to such a serene place in the middle of the city. I am excited to participate in this initiative because I feel a great sense of gratitude to Prospect Park Alliance for everything they do to maintain the park, and as an example to other cities that are in the process of revitalizing their own parks and public spaces.”

Kelly Beeman, Park Bench, 2023; Limited Edition Print