“Numberless birds sing among its branches, and numberless angels rest beneath its shade.”

I would use any financial resources to further my series of paintings ‘THE TWELVE STEPS’. I envision it taking up to 5 years start to complete, currently finishing 6 or 7 of the 12 proposed paintings of drunks and junkies. It's an obvious nod to recovery programs’ 12 steps.

I am an alcoholic/addict (currently over 19 yrs clean & sober) so am familiar with the devastation alcohol & drugs wreak on huge segments of the population, either personally or in relationships . These are therefor both universal & personal statements, combining pain and humour in themes common to addiction. I envision these opening doors, and dialogue, for others both in the throes of addiction and/or dealing with recovering.

Among the concepts are: “WHO ARE YOU?” (awakening to a stranger), “WHERE’S THE CAR?” (empty garage), “RELIEF” (asleep in front of the toilet bowl), “HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY...” (terrified cat atop the fridge), ZZZZ (passed out at the table) etc. Several of these were featured (and won award) at John Hopkins University' s 'INNOVATORS'
conferences on addiction, in Baltimore and Orlando.

I would use any Sedrat funds to offset costs (materials, framing) and hire a photographer to help me stage these scenes as reference material for painting. I maintain that in realism one needs to hire models, stage &/or create “sets” for the verity of scenario. I would like very specific lighting; ie: harsh cool light of dawn for “WHO ARE YOU?”, shooting at night, neon-lit public parking lot for “COULDN’T?WAIT” (urinating in public), flourescents for a bathroom, glow of refrigerator in darkened room for another, et al. This will require profesional assistance. I intend to pose for some, use friends or professional (at $15 an hour) models for others. This should prove fairly expensive, but will make a huge difference in terms of accuracy of perspective, scale and believability.
In terms of public outreach and audience, I'm hoping for multiple venues over time, with a varied crowd. I would love them seen in city/state health facilities, particularly treatment centers, my goal is to bring a more diverse audience than just the usual ‘art-walk’
attendees. I’d also like to target the ‘Artists with Disabilities’ groups, and Alcoholics Anonymous’ ‘Grapevine’ publication, amongst others. The more issues are brought into the open, the sooner the healing can begin...

Thanks for your consideration.
(Lizabeth) Kelly Lyles

Kelly Lyles
http://www.kellyspot.com
(206) 937-2058