Keathley’s first exhibition brings promising reviews
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For more than 20 years, Keathley has taken a natural affinity for local scenery and history, combined it with his knowledge gained from many hours of research at the library and family lore, and created something that is beginning to catch on.
What makes his art different from others is the setting of the majority of his works. More than 80 watercolors, pen and ink drawings, oils and acrylics now on display at The Station Pure Art couldn’t be more heartfelt. They depict some scenes from his grandfather’s 102-acre farm near the Collins River, as well as many scenes from Warren County itself.
Some of the work dates to the mid-1980s, but the scenes depicted are as timeless as The Black House, which is one of his favorite pieces in the collection. Others, such as a landscape depiction of Riverside Cemetery before two old trees were cut there and a painting of the statue Hebe, have interested local art lovers and history buffs alike.
“He’s gotten a great reception,” The Station Pure Art owner Vicki Spivey said of the exhibition, which lasts through mid-June. “People have been very appreciative and we’ve sold, at last count, 12 pieces. People really like Chris’ work because he is such a county historian and they can identify with his work.”
The inspiration comes mainly from his family, Keathley said. And when you’ve got family such as a great-great-great grandfather like Aaron Higginbotham, who was reputed to have turned gray after getting lost in Higginbotham Cave, you’ve got a lot of family history to learn and remember.
Additionally, Keathley has been in charge of the family cemetery on Shellsford Road for some time. He learned about slaves who were buried there, of which one was said to have found the elder Higginbotham in the cave.
More influence comes from his aunt, Betty Higginbotham.
“She used to take me to a lot of the old cemeteries and we’d look for graves. She was interested in genealogy and I’d be helping her by going to the library and doing research. I’ve been doing that for as far back as I can remember,” he said.
As far as the artwork itself, Keathley has been influenced by local artists such as the late Ernest Sharpe, a watercolor painter who painted historical homes, as well as local artist Monty Wanamaker and art teacher Beth Jones.
The exhibition has been six months in the making and the first-time exhibitionist is finding some didn’t even know he painted.
“I was relieved,” he said of the final products. “It feels good to see a lot of my work in one place.”
Now that the show is under way, he hopes the work will spark a local interest in not only the work, but future undertakings he is planning with Wanamaker. The two are planning a series of portrait books about Riverside Cemetery and another biographical book on J. Fletch Woodward, who was found guilty, then acquitted, of murder. Another book on the 200th anniversary of Higginbotham Cave is also planned.
The goals are simple. Although he prefers the work depicting scenes from his grandfather’s farm, he hopes the work will inspire those around him.
“I hope it’s something that people will appreciate,” he said.