One of the most exciting Botanical Artist’s around, with her bold colours, contemporary style, and an overload of beauty, Kelly’s work breaks the traditional rules of Botanical Art.
Her highly sought-after original pieces transform the spaces where they hang, as well as bringing a sense of calm, harmony, joy and light. The creation of her stunning new products, makes getting a piece of the gorgeousness more accessible for everyone.
“The more you look at her paintings, the more you will see, the details are glorious!”
In the studio
Kelly paints from her studio in Johannesburg South Africa, and clients are welcome to visit by appointment.
Artist’s Biography
Kelly grew up on a South African sugar cane farm in Zululand, part of a beloved, extended family in a close knit, small community.
“My grandmother had a Portmeirion tea-set, and blue and white Willow pattern plates, with which I was always completely and utterly in love. My passion for beautiful floral design and Chinoiserie is a deep-seated part of my make-up. Being among flowers, in a garden or florists shop, fills me with joy. Flowers are my greatest passion (along with my cats!), and I’ve been obsessed with painting them since I can consciously remember. I have spent my life researching the original naturalist masters, and honing my skill with watercolours and very fine brushes.
I am devoted to colour, fresh, light, deep and dramatic, colours are everything in my work, and using them in different combinations endlessly inspires me. My aim is to combine all the most beautiful classical elements of design in a fresh new way, so that the result is whimsical, enchanting, and simply wonderful to look at. I am compelled to paint and create; it feeds my spirit and makes me whole.
I am apparently considered the rebel of the Botanical Artist’s Society, as I break their stringent rules by representing flowers with all manner of rock ‘n roll, decorative elements, instead of sticking to the old-fashioned, scientific format (which, by the way, I have never-ending respect for). This I love, as anyone who knows me will testify to my goody-two-shoes personality!
I am a wife and mother of three very busy children (a daughter and boy-and-girl twins), and live in my beloved South Africa, where the light is pure perfection. Juggling painting with being a Mum is a constant, guilt-inducing challenge, but luckily, there’s gin and pink wine! However, I am so grateful to be an artist who cannot keep up with the demand for my work, and to have the opportunity to make my passion into a career.”
Kelly’s original paintings were exhibited at the Lucy B. Campbell Gallery in Kensington, London for many years, and hang in homes around the world.
Accessibility
Artwork can be sent anywhere in the world via DHL, and via The Courier Guy within South Africa. It is much cheaper and easier to send unframed artwork, which is rolled in a cardboard tube.
Framing can be arranged through the artist’s personal framer, Handmade Frames, preferably for clients who can collect the piece in person due to the risk of breakage in transit when using couriers.
Commissions
Kelly does a lot of commission work for private clients.
She has done several paintings for people who have requested a certain type of bird, or species of flower, or even just a colour they particularly want. The client decides on a budget and Kelly works with them on the details of the painting. To confirm a commission order, a 50% deposit is paid, with the remaining 50% paid on completion of the painting. Paintings can take anything from a few weeks to several months to complete, depending on the size and details involved.
Pricing
Prices are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR), and EFT deposits into the artist’s local bank account are the usual payment method. International clients can make direct payments into her British bank account (Barclays) as that has proved simpler with much lower international charges or via PayPal.
Prices range from R20 000 for a small piece, roughly 18cm x 22cm (paper size) to R150 000 for a very large piece, with most paintings being somewhere in the middle R30 000 – R60 000. As an example, a recent original piece sized 34cm square was priced at R32 000 and another sized 46cm x 54cm was R58 000. Framing adds roughly 12-18cm ALL ROUND, which takes the finished size up a lot from the paper size. All original painting prices include framing, if the piece is being sent overseas without a frame, the cost of the frame will be deducted from the price.
Composition
The layout options to choose from are either a blue and white Chinese pot, or a pot depicting a bird / monkey or other animal / Chinoiserie design. And either a growing plant (often an orchid), based in soil with leaves and a stem OR a bunch of loose cut flowers and leaves, with or without a small bird sitting amongst the arrangement. Kelly always includes butterflies and insects in her paintings, and likes to include a still life object on the ‘ground’ alongside the pot – these can be shells / vegetables / fruit / nuts etc. This is a guideline of the formats usually used to design her pieces but she is open to all variations on the theme of what she paints,