Reflecting on my childhood in rural Ohio, I critique the suburban, manufactured “utopia” that shaped my hometown and the fallacies therein. Through imagery that evokes common childhood artmaking, I create scenes and pictures that seem idyllic but are isolated or disrupted. My work in plexiglass, meticulously crafted to look like ruled and green bar dot matrix paper, is an exploration of the instability and tenuity of felt safety. Repeating visual elements to create my own lexicon allows my body of work to be both a critique of life in contemporary, small-town Midwestern America, and a deeply personal expression of it.
As a professional designer, under the brand, “My Bed is a Boat,” I help organizations and businesses turn ideas into visuals, specializing in illustration for training and development.
Kelly is currently accepting new clients and commissions.
For more about Kelly's design, please visit: