Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Kelly has been painting since childhood. Having a full-time job working in the health sector, she has used art primarily as a way to foster her creativity and achieve a work-life balance. Painting allows her to express herself and each painting is a labour of love taking anywhere from 6 to over 40 hours to complete depending on style and size. She is often asked why she only paints animals and there are three main reasons:
Many are endangered or critically endangered and her art is used as a conservation platform to raise awareness and draw attention to their plight primarily through social media. She has also donated artwork for auction to raise money to support conservation charities.
The second reason is a fondness for colour, that she usually exaggerates in her own personal style that gives each subject a unique personality.
The third reason is the connection fostered. She loves hearing stories of how her paintings connect with others - be it a favourite animal, pet or totem. This is also the main reason for contacting her for commissions, where she regularly paints pet portraits that are usually met with happy tears on receipt.
Kelly's medium of choice is mainly acrylic, but she also uses gouache, pastels, ink blocks and paint markers to achieve vivid results that are heavily complimented and hold the attention of a room. Don't hesitate to contact her if you are after something specific.