Calla Lily

About Calla Lily

This contemporary realistic oil painting of a lily was painted by James Lahey.

This gorgeous bouquet of sunny yellow Calla Lilies is an oil on canvas by James Lahey. Light appears to illuminate this casual arrangement. The clear glass vase sits against a jet-black background which provides perfect contrast. Simply elegant. Lahey spent formative years in Italian art schools studying the works of masterful painters such as Rembrandt and Caravaggio. That experience forever influenced his love of dramatic lighting and rich color palettes.

“My representational work is primarily of things elemental and temporal – landscapes, oceans, clouds, flora, and the implicit motion within these. I’m interested in this to know the world and phenomenal experience; that is, to know what is often referred to as fleeting experience.” James Lahey

“The minimalism in his composition, often presenting a single flower in a one color background enriches the details and light of his stunning portraits of the flower bloom.” Jennifer Kostuik, Art Historian, Owner—
Kostuik Gallery Vancouver

James Lahey completed his BFA at York University (Toronto) in 1984 with studies in Art and Architecture in Italy through a joint program with York University and Lowell University in Massachusetts.
Lahey went on to hold positions at The Art Gallery at Harbourfront, The Power Plant, The Art Gallery of Ontario, and Bruce Mau Design. Since 1998, he has concentrated exclusively on his own art practice. In 2001, he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy. James Lahey's work can be found in numerous private and public collections in the US and across Canada.