Biography of Fantasy Artist Ginger Kelly

ARTISTS STATEMENT

My name is Lauren Kelly Small

I was born in Coffs Harbour in March 1984 and grew up in the mountains of Upper Orara, NSW Australia where I still live and work as a Graphic Artist and Illustrator. Even as a child I loved illustrations that were unique, full of colour, detail and the drama of a great fairytale with a little bit of whimsy.

After finishing school and a university degree in horse training (another lifelong passion) I took some time to travel around Australia and to the UK and Ireland where my imagination and heart was captured by the wild landscapes so often read about in the fairytales I loved as a child.

In 2008 I discovered the limitless possibilities of using Adobe Photoshop for illustration and have since not looked back. My first solo exhibition in early 2011 showcased the elaborate drawings and mixed media illustrations of the imagined faerie world where my dreams take place.

The artworks included in my Ginger Kelly exhibition were all created in my first two years of learning how to paint digitally. Each piece uses techniques that I have taught myself through trial and error and accidently finding new ways of drawing and painting in a style that exactly fits my imagination.

I love to create delicate designs, detailed drawings, and anything that reminds me of a dream or of places I've been & fallen in love with. My inspiration comes from my love of reading folktales, children’s storybooks and fairytales. I greatly admire Pre-Raphaelite art and vintage portrait photography. The beautiful places I have visited and the amazing valley in which I live have also greatly inspired my creative work. My imagination is constantly alive with mythical stories and fairytales.

I work in many mediums, though I prefer to work in pencil or using digital painting and digital photo collage techniques. Many of the artworks in my portfolio are photo manipulations or collages created using my own photography, painting and royalty free stock images.

It is very difficult to explain in words, the process of creating a digital mixed media artwork. I start with an idea which I might sketch very quickly onto paper before transferring the sketch lines to my computer. Sometimes I sketch directly into Photoshop using my graphics tablet then I start to add colour by painting with my graphics pen and using little snippets of photos to add texture and depth. The entire process may take hours or many weeks depending on how complex the piece becomes. Some artworks start out as one thing and become something entirely different after a few days. One thing is definite: When I get started on a new piece of work it is almost impossible to stay away from it until it is finished.

When not drawing or painting, I design and create jewellery and clothing for my small handmade label Jasper and Pearl which I sell online and at local markets.

In years to come I hope I will have a chance to illustrate my own stories, learn more techniques, become faster at drawing so I can keep up with the ideas that are constantly bombarding me and I also hope to sustain myself completely on creativity and art...

I hope to make these dreams a possibility by sharing with you the art & beautiful things I love.

I hope you will love them too

xxx Lauren