30 Works That Show Owensboro’s Aaron Kizer Paints Kentucky and Beyond [GALLERY]

I believe it was back in 2014 at a company Christmas party when I saw Aaron Kizer "perform" live for the first...and alas, the last time. What is WRONG with me?

THE ARTISTIC WORLD OF AARON KIZER

Fans the world over have been enamored of the Owensboro native's amazing work for years now, and here I am in the same town missing out...but not really. Yes, it is quite an experience watching Aaron create, but I could stare at galleries of his finished products for hours on end.

That painting of Johnny Cash is the one I saw him create live at the party, and I had no idea who it was going to be until he turned it right side up, and there the Man in the Black was. That's right...he painted the Man in Black UPSIDE DOWN. And if you've never seen him create a "speed painting," check this out.

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HOW DID AARON KIZER BEGIN CREATING ART IN HIS UNIQUE STYLE?

I asked him about how he came to create art in his unique way and his answer made perfect sense, even though I wouldn't have seen it coming. Aaron has been painting for more than a decade and said, "I learned to create the way I do from lack of any formal education. That’s not to say I didn’t study to understand color theory and anatomy on my own but I was able to learn in a way that suited my needs and wants more."

Basically self-taught, Aaron says, "I took about 3 years and studied color theory, anatomy physiology, and visual Illusions on my own. The rest is really just trial and error and a lot of failures."

AARON KIZER'S SUBJECTS

Watch him paint "Sally" from A Nightmare Before Christmas:

One thing you'll glean from Aaron's work is that he doesn't seem to have one particular favorite subject, although, as you can see, he's a huge University of Kentucky basketball fan, and here's more proof.

His portrait of former UK forward and current NBA superstar Karl-Anthony Towns has been a hot auction item.

AARON KIZER'S INSPIRATION

As you've likely gathered, Aaron's work has stretched beyond the borders of the Commonwealth, and in this KET mini-documentary, he shares a story of how this all began AND the important role his late father played in him becoming who he is today.

I'm never quite sure what his inspirations are, but Aaron often creates portraits of celebrities and icons soon after they've passed away...like this one of Kenny Rogers from 2020.

Aaron has given me permission to share some of this work with you in the gallery below. Enjoy.