Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley Batson-Howard.
Hi Kelley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been an artist in my soul always. I kept hidden secret dreams of living in Paris and being an artist. Life directed my path in a different direction; so, I spent the majority of my decades working in my family commercial greenhouse business. I picked up a paintbrush again in my 50s as a way to relieve the stresses of daily life and had those artist dreams once again flood my soul. After closing the business in 2017, a serendipitous opportunity appeared, almost immediately for me to join a local co-op of artists where I would have space to paint outside of my garage. I jumped at the opportunity and have never looked back. I began to focus my energies towards creating daily and began painting like someone who had been locked in a dungeon and set free. I have been thrilled to finally pursue the dream of being an artist that I left behind so many years ago. To finally live your dream brings a peace that is indescribable.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to living a creator’s life was not smooth, but once I landed at my soul’s purpose, doors have opened in an unexpected way. I have met so many wonderful people who have filled my life and opened doors to places I would never have imagined such a short time ago. My biggest struggle comes from wondering if I am doing it “right” since my education is not in any art-related field. I’m just beginning to realize that as a creator, however, how I do it IS right. That is MY voice and there will be an audience who enjoys that. Every artist’s struggle is to find the audience.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an abstract painter. I love to paint with bold colors and create paintings that are vivid even when they are calm. Color touches our soul. It brings feelings and emotion to our surface. I want my work to make people remember a special place, a time, an event. I want to show the beauty in our world. There is so much darkness and I want to create work that is cheerful, beautiful, and uplifting. At this point, I’m not certain I’m known for any particular way of painting, but instead, I’m known for the hard work I put into getting my work to be visible. Coming from an agricultural background, I am a hard worker and I’ve approached my painting career the same way. I work at it each day. I’m proud of the things I’ve been able to start and accomplish at my age in such a short time. I’ve been incredibly blessed. I hope my story can encourage others to follow their dreams-don’t wait. Life passes by in a blink.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe my work ethic is the thing that has been the most important ingredient to any success I’ve had since pursuing my art career. Noone succeeds overnight. Anyone who succeeds does so after many years of hard work and ups and downs. “Success” comes from trials and errors and many failures. The successful ones are those who are not afraid to fail but choose to work harder for the next time.
Contact Info:
- Email: Kelley@kbatsonart.com
- Website: https://www.kbatsonart.com
- Instagram: @kbatsonart
- Facebook: @kbatsonartwork
Image Credits
Andrew Tremblay
