As a child, Kelly’s innate need to create led her to experiment with a variety of artistic mediums, including drawing, painting, decoupage boxes, jewelry making, fashion design, collage, as well as creative writing and keeping journals. In high school, fine art became the primary passion and pastime in Kelly’s life. She began to keep mixed media sketchbooks and journals as a means of personal self-expression and exploration. Art school created further opportunity to try new mediums and techniques as Kelly continued to develop her raw expressive painting style and mixed media work. Kelly has continued painting and keeping visual journals throughout art school to present day, documenting friendships, relationships, and life events.
Kelly’s recent work has been tremendously influenced by her personal life, becoming much more intuitive, colorful, and free. Teaching has also greatly affected her artistic process. The excitement, joy, experimentation and playfulness children bring to the art room helped her rediscover her own creative inner child. Kelly received a BFA in General Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she focused primarily on painting. She received a Masters of Art Teaching from George Mason University and currently teaches elementary school art.