Expressive Surrealist Paintings & Drawings by Daniel Ketelhut

Galleries

I think about color as temperature, as mood, as atmosphere.
This collection is arranged by dominant palette so you can enter the work through feeling first — cool, warm, polychrome, or neutral. Within each gallery, you’ll find original abstract oil paintings that balance expressive depth with intentional accessibility for contemporary collectors.

Newest Work features the most recent additions from the studio, regardless of palette — the clearest expression of my current direction.

I am represented by Sparks Gallery in San Diego - please visit them here for a full selection of available works.

Newest Work

My most recently completed paintings - work still closest to the energy of its making.

Cool | Atmospheres

Blues, greens, and violets create depth and quiet tension. These paintings lean toward stillness ? reflective, spacious, and immersive. Each is an original abstract oil painting, created for collectors drawn to calm intensity and subtle presence.

Warm | Radiance

Reds, oranges, and yellows hold movement and heat. These works feel immediate and alive, guided by instinct and energy. Each original oil painting offers bold emotional presence in a format designed to remain accessible to contemporary collectors.

Polychrome | Convergence

Here, color overlaps and shifts. Warm and cool tones meet in layered compositions that reveal themselves over time. Each original abstract oil painting invites emotional response first ? complexity made approachable.

Neutrals | Light & Ground

Whites, blacks, and earth tones emphasize contrast, texture, and restraint. These paintings rely on nuance rather than saturation. Each original oil work offers quiet depth and a refined presence, thoughtfully positioned for collectors who value subtlety.

Sold Work

Gone but not forgotten, these pieces now grace the walls of their new homes.