Kelly West

Kelly is a native to the Gulf Coast of Alabama where she spent most of her young life working in many Art forms including two dimensional art, theatre, and music. Kelly began her interest in Oil paint at the age of 7 when she discovered a stack of her Grandmother’s paintings while visiting in southwest Florida. Her Grandmother, Joyce West, was an artist who portrayed subjects such as people, landscapes and buildings in an impressionist style. Joyce’s work was integral to Kelly’s fascination to oil painting. Kelly’s curiosity of this craft did not go unnoticed. After pouring through every painting in the studio, Joyce and Kelly were soon collaborating on a wildlife painting.

Kelly dreamt of being a full time Artist and by high school she taught herself multiple mediums including oil paint, pen and ink, water color, acrylic, charcoal, and graphite. She won multiple local scholarships and was on a path to an Art school in Alabama, but instead, Kelly took on an apprenticeship as a tattooist in a well-known studio. This opportunity allowed Kelly to learn about design while also having the freedom to travel the country and continue working with various media.

At 21, Kelly moved to Whitefish, Montana where she spent the next 10 years, living near Glacier National park, participating in extreme sports and practicing her numerous artforms. Kelly continued to develop her style in oil, painting animals, landscapes, seascapes and pet portraits. In 2017, Kelly moved away from the mountains and back to her first love, the beach. She now resides in beautiful South Alabama, where her art has continued to evolve with inspiration from the ocean and the native wildlife.

Kelly’s large animal paintings, landscapes and abstract pieces have been sold to collectors across the United States, Canada, China, and Europe. In that time Kelly has also painted over 100 pet portraits along with multiple murals. Kelly’s work is currently shown in Whitefish, Montana at The Walking Man Frame shop and Gallery, and also at The Coastal Arts Center in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Along with her original oil paintings, Kelly takes on commissions for all types of artistic design work. Her passion for design extends to album cover art, business logos, children’s books and photography.