Shadowy Blue Sea Turtle
Who? Kelli Coats: Bio
For
as long as I can remember, I would draw, for hours on end. I would draw
everyday genres that appealed to me at that young age. Throughout
middle and high school, I took every Art elective possible. After high
school, I earned my AA in Art from Eastern Florida State College (then
known as Brevard Community College). Nancy Dillen was my college
instructor and her teachings left a lasting impression with me
throughout my life. Despite my then desire and intention on becoming an
artist, I settled for a daily career and my artistic endeavors took a
back seat.
It
was about 6 years ago that I earned my MA in Art Education and began
teaching ceramics at a local high school. Teaching ceramics reignited my
passion for creating art. In doing so, I finally found the courage to
call myself an artist. I also created online pages (Etsy, Facebook
and Pinterest, etc.) to sell my artwork. In this rediscovery, I also
joined the Strawbridge Art League, where my art is also on display.
What medium do you prefer and why?
I
currently prefer clay as my medium. This is likely due to my teaching
it as a subject matter with the materials are readily available. Drawing
(graphite) is also my medium of preference, when time permits.
What inspires or motivates you to create your art and what does your art mean to you?
Overall,
it is an intrinsic desire that inspires me to create. However, my
students are also a source of inspiration – teaching often provides a
reciprocal exchange of energy that is contagious in the creative realm
of living. My fellow art teachers and art league friends are also
inspiring – through their encouragement and ideas and art talk I have
found the courage to create art I enjoy creating.
To
me, my art means I am in alignment with my creative passions. My
creative interest has primarily existed within the spooky or Gothic
genre, yet I changed course and fell into production art for the hope
and sake of selling it. I have since struck a happy medium and have
placed my own artistic desires in the forefront. This makes me a much
happier artist!
What makes your art unique?
I
think my art is unique because I create spooky art year round – not
just at Halloween. I sometimes, I try to reveal the allure of dark art
with unexpected subject matter. For example, my hand sculpted ceramic
sea turtles - I utilize a black glaze under a sheer color overlay)
giving them a shadowy appearance.
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| See No Evil |
Be sure to stop by the Strawbridge Art League and Gallery at 819-2 East Strawbridge Avenue, Melbourne, Florida to see more of Kelli's work.
