Meet Kellette Elliott

We recently connected with Kellette Elliott and have shared our conversation below.

Kellette, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

The way I keep my creativity alive is by creating regularly. I have found I rarely have a creative block if I am always creating. It’s when you stop, it’s harder to come back. Another strategy is having different series of works. If I come to my studio, wanting to create, but not sure what, I rely on my “cameraworksseries” or my “vulnerableworkseries”. When I have a series, there’s a particular formula for instance a camera and a human interacting with the camera for “cameraworksseries” or with “vulnerableworkseries”, it’s typically a woman that is experiencing pain.
It never hurts to always be looking at art. Not just your own media, but all media. Going to galleries, museums, looking at art on the internet is a constant source of inspiration for my own work.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I have been creating art since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I have always thoroughly enjoyed all things art growing up in school, creating at home, and later earning my BFA in Drawing and Design and MS in Art Education.
I first went in the direction of graphic design and animation after earning my BFA because that’s where the money was. But I wasn’t satisfied, I really wanted to share my love of art with the younger generation so I returned to school to earn my Masters. I taught in public schools for 17 years until medical reasons took me out two years ago,
While battling this progressive disease, many of my passions like soccer and hiking were not an option anymore. So I needed to find new things that ignited that passion. I started collaging, and that’s when I found my voice. Collage speaks to my heart. So I started collaging daily–almost an obsession. It really was just for me and to be an example to my students, but then my career as an artist launched. I was being asked to do illustrate album and book covers. Participate in local art shows. Things a child artist only dreams of. I feel like people can truly see when you are creating from your heart.
In the last few years, I have illustrated for Playboy Magazine, illustrated the cover for UK magazine The New Statesman as well as had my work in museums from the Netherlands to India. It’s been such a fun ride!
As I continue this journey of art commissions, museum and gallery exhibits, I also knew my art can be used for important causes. During COVID, we had the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter really came to the forefront of our news. I am a strong believe in the movement and made a series of collage prints where all of the profits went to the Black Lives Matter organization. When there were Australian Wildfires, a group of us came together and auctioned off our work to raise money for the victims of the fires. Most recently, with immigrants being a target of our current administration, I am raising money from another collage print where 50% of the proceeds go to Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition where they provide resources for immigrants in Portland. I have also used my art in publications that raise money for suicide prevention causes and cancer support to helping raise money to keep a local skatepark afloat.
Because of my health condition which limits my movement, I can use my art to help me be an advocate and ally. It’s been a wonderful discovery over the past few years, and I intend to continue raising money for causes close to my heart indefinitely.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

First area of knowledge that was most impactful in my journey was knowing the creative journey isn’t linear. You are not going to make an awesome piece of work every day. But every piece you do create influences what you’ll make next. Looking at your work as always a work in progress is so important for growth.

The next area of knowledge is making art for yourself. So many artists try to conform to what the algorithm will like on social media, or what people will buy while sacrificing their true voice. People can tell if you are being authentic, and will support you when you know you are being honest.

The last area of knowledge is that community is always makes things better! Get involved in local and international collectives, groups, societies that focus on what you love. You can learn so much from your peers. The connections you make can also help in you in getting future jobs as well as inspire you. Some of my closest friends are fellow collagists and I see them as art peers but also quality friendships.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I love collaborating! If anyone is looking for a collage artist to illustrate work they are doing, or another collage artist that wants to connect because of our shared love of collage, or if someone just wants to connect because something I said resonates with them. I love meeting new people and would be happy to connect with anyone interested!

If interested, feel free to DM me on Instagram at @kelletteworks or email me at [email protected].

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Templeton Elliott took the photo of me at the gallery

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