W. Kelley Lucas was my first friend who made it as a "professional" artist. When I lived in Miami, Florida in the early 1990s, Kelley and I hung out all the time and he turned me on to many lowbrow/pop surrealist artists that I've come to love. Eventually, Kelley's huge paintings hung in galleries beside work by the very artists he admired, like Mark Ryden, Glenn Barr, and Todd Schorr. Then, around 2002, Kelley stopped painting entirely. He was struggling with some very difficult personal issues and we lost touch. When I received the new issue of Hi-Fructose, I was completely surprised to see a small ad announcing Kelley's Web site. He is back in the studio, and I, for one, am thrilled. Kelley's posted his first five pieces in six years. Seen here, "Vespa Consonum," a portrait of the artist by Grady Clark, and "Filling Up The Hollow." If this work is a good hint of what's to come, don't take your eyes off this man. Kelley Lucas
