I was born in the red rose county of Lancashire in England- a landscape
of Victorian Gothic architecture, Wuthering Heights type moor-land & dark legends. My childhood was infused with Faerietale, ghostly stories, ancient myth and a deep love of the history of my homeland. Growing into adulthood I developed an obsession for the Pre-Raphaelites & Victorian
Romantics, but then how could I not?! Each town and city around
me held collections of these symbolist, jewel-like, otherworldly
treasures. And so I could often be found in Manchester City Art
Gallery gazing longingly at the masterpieces of beloved Waterhouse…
or Arthur Hughes… or reverently lifting the tapestries that covered
the cases that held the palettes and brushes of Rosetti….. or at
the Lady Lever Gallery in Liverpool with its Millais, Holman-Hunts
and Maddox Browns. I also became passionate about the Art Nouveau
era, its macabre sensuality appealing to my love of dark Faerietale,
and so I soaked up the art of Lalique, Morris, Burne-Jones, Dufrene,
Mucha, Klimt, Gaudi. All of these influences served to enhance
my other great love- British mythology and legend…. Be it Arthurian,
our native Faerie lore, Celtic history, or those local fire-side
tales that stretch back across time. So when folk ask me if I believe
in Faeries…. Well let me tell you I most definitely do!!
My family have always been jewellery designers and manufacturers, and so I suppose it was inevitable that I would work in the field of fine jewellery. My apprenticeship was a long one, covering master-pattern making for the jewellery trade, using the lost wax casting process, jewellery design from initial concept to finished product and antique jewellery reproduction. Due to this specialist apprenticeship I have also helped in the restoration of museum/ecclesiastical pieces and individual collector’s antique jewellery ie. jewellery that belonged to Agatha Christie.
Over time I have developed a highly sculptural, mythological, symbolist style... I feel as though this is what I was always meant to do… and now feel compelled to do! Finally all of the creatures and images that ‘lived’ in my head found a way to become reality… and once I started letting all of the Faeries, boggarts, elves, woodwose, unicorns and blessed damozels out I couldn’t stop! All of my work is now infused with Fey, Pre-Raphaelite, Art Nouveau beings… in fact some of them seem to create themselves, they just appear!
I now live and work Dartmouth, where I have my gallery/shop &,
when not there, am usually to be found (with my dogs) on Dartmoor…
an ancient land that simply breathes Faerie and folklore and is a
place of true majick. In my work and surroundings I am truly in my
element- the element where our mortal world and that of Faerie and
myth meet. This is a precious time, a true Renaissance of Faerie,
it is all around us, and I am very honoured to be working in this
captivating genre at this point in history!
Kelly has examples of her art on permanent display at Obsidian Art gallery in Stoke Mandeville, Bucks.
She is collaborating with Ed Org as part of his annual exhibtion at Obsidian Art in 2010
Kelly is children's costume designer and creator for The Chagford Film-Making Group's 2009 film in pre-production 'The Laidly Worm of Spindlestone Heugh'
She is also collaborating on various projects over the next few years with her partner Marc Potts.
