Originally from Plymouth, Minnesota, Kelly grew up with a strong love of art and drawing. Her paternal grandparents were artists, her grandfather an impressionistic painter and grandmother a tapestry artist. They were collectors, art educators, and cheerleaders of their grandchildren’s artistic efforts. From a young age, Kelly had an up-close view of what makes art and what makes an artist. By age 12 she discovered she had a knack for rendering and portraiture and fell in love with paper and pencil. After high school she attended Montana State University where she earned her BFA in graphic design and began a career in print design and illustration, all while teaching and choreographing dance—another artistic passion. 

With her artwork she seeks to both capture the details and life of the subject, while also letting the medium shine through. She appreciates a photo realistic view from a distance, but loves to see the sketched lines up close. She works mainly in graphite and charcoal, and considers her process to be simply scribbling in a pattern.

Today she continues to teach and choreograph for Backstage Dance Studio in Bellevue, WA, and works as a freelance illustrator with a focus on children’s illustration. She recently authored and illustrated three picture books for Delta Dental of Washington, and is building her career as a children’s author/illustrator. She lives with her husband and two children in Brier, Washington.