Kelley Batson-Howard Acrylic Daytona Beach Artist

Art League of Daytona Beach

433 South Palmetto Avenue

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114

Tel: 386-947-7103

Kelley Batson-Howard  Acrylic Daytona Beach Artist

I have been an artist in my soul always. I kept hidden, secret dreams of living in Paris and being an artist. At 18 does anyone really know what that might mean? Life directed my path in a different direction, so, I spent the majority of my decades working in my family commercial greenhouse business instead. 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 that business in 2017, a serendipitous opportunity appeared 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 started painting like someone who had been locked in a dungeon and

 was suddenly set free. I have been thrilled to finally pursue the dream of being an artist. To live your dream brings a peace that is indescribable. I highly recommend doing it!

 

The road to living a creator’s life was not a smooth one, but once I landed at what I'm certain is my soul’s purpose, doors have opened in unexpected ways. 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, however, that as a creator 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 for their work and mine is no different.

My work is inspired by memories of times or places past or from memories of special people who have traveled through my life. I spent many years boating, so the landscapes are just an imprint on my brain that come to the canvas from time to time. The odd perspectives are because that's how I remember them. The more eclectic pieces tend to stem from the odd "auras' I get or have gotten over the years from migraine headaches. There are all kinds of psychedelic images that appear there. I've long held if I could paint those, I'd be a good artist. The struggle continues. 

 

But daily, I go to my studio where I get to create those pictures that have been living in my head for years just waiting to escape to reality. I see it as a great opportunity. I GET TO DO IT! I get to see how the paints react on the canvas; how they react with each other, and the textures and patterns they create by adding different mediums along the way. I get to stay with it until the picture in my head shows up on the canvas. With experimentation as my art teacher, I have the benefit of being free of the rules and experimenting until it feels right to me.  This whole journey has been one of self discovery. What have I discovered? I've discovered I love painting bold colors.  I've discovered I paint both calm and action with equal abandon. Both are important to me. I've discovered I like to paint impressions in time- glimpses of memory- flashes of light and patterns all using many layers of transparent paint and making marks into paint. I've discovered I paint from a place of emotion that I must share with the viewer. I want to evoke in them a flashback to a memory, a place, a time, a feeling they want to recreate if but for a moment. I've discovered even the more whimsical pieces have deeper meanings and ideas I want to share with the world. I've learned I want to leave the world a more beautiful place by sharing the peace and happiness I find in my soul while painting. There is so much darkness in the world, I do not want to add to that.  I’ve learned there are those in the world who enjoy my perspective and are inspired by my work. That is gratifying. Most importantly, I've learned the 18 year old girl is still in there if you will let her out to follow her dreams. It is never too late to start.

 

I am a member of Beaux Arts of Central Florida, Florida Women's' Art Association, Ocala Art Group, Marion Cultural Alliance, Art League of Daytona, Lake County Museum of Art & Leesburg Center for the Arts. I am currently an artist in residence at Leesburg Center for the Arts. I am focusing on creating with oils and cold wax medium to widen my horizons and to discover it's many applications.