It takes a person with enormous talent to bring so much life to the bits and pieces of this world in the way Kelly McClelland does with her paintings. With McClelland’s humble demeanor, she would likely smile and shy away from those pressing her with compliments. Rather than indulge herself in talking about her innate, artistic talent, McClelland gets most excited when talking about her artistic inspirations, her love of color, and the fulfillment she gets from doing what makes her — and the many others who’ve purchased her paintings — happy.
McClellan’s versatility as an artist is profound, and it’s also unique because her focus ranges from abstract, to landscapes, to florals, to portraits and beyond. Most of her paintings have a postmodern, contemporary feel that makes them perfect for placement in a variety of venues and settings. While McClellan enjoys using an array of colors for most of her works, she’s also able to create scenes using subdued colors such as gray and blue, meaning her work can be molded to fit a variety of moods and styles that clients may seek.
An upcoming art show will feature McClellan’s work at Studio Slant, located on Emory Drive in Wesleyan Park Plaza. Around 450 paintings and projects she’s completed will be up for sale on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4:30.
Acrylic paint is McClellan’s primarily used medium, and she says that’s because, simply, it’s what she likes using best.
“I do a little oil and watercolor but mostly acrylic,” McClellan said. “I’m not formally trained. I have a friend who was an art teacher, and she taught me some of her techniques, but mostly I taught myself.”
A mother of five children, McClellan said she earned her Master’s degree at Vanderbilt University and worked as a speech pathologist for five years. After moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, McClelland stopped working to care for her first child. After her fourth child was born was when McClelland began dabbling with her craft by painting her children’s furniture and walls.
“That’s how I got started. It kind of started this passion in me, really,” McClelland said. “I just never stopped. It’s worked itself into a part-time job. I paint every day, usually. It’s been great because I can do it out of my home.”
During the year, McClelland said she does mostly custom work for clients who contact her asking for something specific. McClelland has also done all the painting at Owensboro Pediatrics and painted a three-dimensional art piece for the front lobby at Dr. Crews’ pediatric dentistry office.
Although McClelland’s first love is color, she says she enjoys expanding her craft into other realms of painting, including the softer pieces where she uses more gray, black, blue and others.
“You know, honestly, I love it all. I think that [thinking about what’s going to sell] inhibits me, and then I think I don’t do as well,” McClellan said. “It’s better when I just sit down and start creating.”
When McClellan sees something in a store, or even in a restaurant, containing a color scheme that stands out to her, she’ll often go home and begin a new project, building it around the color scheme that caught her eye.
“It’s so weird because I’m developing my skills,” McClellan said, adding that over time she’s found herself somewhat outgrowing the types of paintings she originally created. “It’s a little more complicated than that now.”
When it comes to pricing her artwork, McClellan says she compares her work to other artists and their price ranges when deciding what to charge for each piece. McClellan’s upcoming art show will feature around 450 different paintings and projects she’s completed, and prices for her paintings will range from $35 to $500. She will sell paintings in a variety of sizes, and her show will include smaller items such as decorative wall hangings and box paintings.
