Biography
My name is Madeline (Maddy) Kelly. I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and I’ve been making art since I was about nine years old. My family was deeply affected by hurricane Katrina when I was this age and because we had lost everything in the storm, I became obsessed with creating to make up for the things I no longer had. I taught myself art in my early years and then later went on to get my Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art with a concentration in painting. I was always into the traditional way of making art (painting, charcoal, etc) and I still am, but during COVID lockdown, I purchased my first IPad and discovered the wonders of digital art and I’ve been perfecting my skills ever since.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I love to try new things and because of that it’s very hard for me to define my style. I’m told that it’s very Pop Art/ religious idealism.
I’m inspired by my life whenever I start a new piece. The direction I go in with any new art I make depends on a lot of different elements such as: how I’m feeling, if I’m reading a really good book and want to visualize one of the characters, and any current events. But sometimes it’s as simple as coming across a really good reference photo on Pinterest and just immediately knowing that I want to recreate it and make it my own.
I’m inspired by many artists but a main one that always comes to mind is Ashley Longshore. Her brightly colored portraits of iconic figures motivates me to try more techniques and styles that may be out of my comfort zone.
