Meet Kelley Pettibone

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelley Pettibone. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kelley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My practice has become essential self-care following a decade of loss. In a decade of time I had experienced the deaths of all my grandparents, my parents, and a family pet. As an only child and college student I was left feeling orphaned and overwhelmed. I turned to my studio as my sanctuary space. I began creating work in response to my emotional flux. My work has become the visual vocabulary and documentation of my journey through grief.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a college instructor currently teaching studio drawing, printmaking, and 3 dimensional design courses. As an artist, my practice includes woodcut and linoleum relief printmaking, collagraph printmaking, Monoprint, Intaglio, Lithography, mixed media collage, assemblage, painting, paper making, and sculpture. I work in a studio located at my home. With the recent addition of a press bed to my studio, printmaking has become a significant portion of my practice. I have begun fusing inherited family ephemera into my work. I’ve made paper with my mother’s clothing, paper clay with my parents’ documents, and use remnants of my grandmother’s fabrics and pages from inherited books in mixed media works. I also enjoy using repurposed materials such as butter boxes, cardboard, milk cartons, and beer and wine boxes as plates in collagraph printmaking.
My work documents my journey through grief. The repurposed household materials documents the relationship between, and coexistence of, grieving and persistence. A theme prevalent within my work is the ambiguous dwelling. I have been investigating the word “home” and what that means for myself. After experiencing the deaths of my entire family the word “home” felt foreign to me and I began searching to redefine “home”. This investigation continues to evolve within my practice. As my studio is an upstairs studio and my view from its windows is of tree tops I often watch birds. I sit in early morning hours with a cup of coffee and watch the sun rise as the birds begin their day. Birds are hopeful and their communal nature is intriguing. I often use birds and bird nests in my work and sometimes I use a bird as a stand-in self-portrait.
I have recently shown work in two exhibitions in South Carolina and am preparing for another exhibition upcoming at the Koger Center in Columbia, SC July-September, 2025. I also have an upcoming exhibition February-March, 2026, at Lander University in Greenwood, SC. I enjoy installing my work in galleries. Looking forward, I am planning to begin attending local art events as a vendor selling prints, mixed media works, and handprinted goods.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I began school as a Biology/Anatomy major. While in clinicals and studying one day I realized how many of my notes were drawings rather than written notes. I had the epiphany that perhaps I needed to attend art school rather than continuing my love of anatomy. So I did! I wish I would’ve realized my passion earlier, but better late than never!
I would encourage anyone with doubt of following your passion to go for it! I believe that if our world was filled with people doing exactly what they love doing that we would live in a much happier world. I never feel that I get up and get dressed to go to work. What I do never feels like “work”. Follow your heart before the heart is trained to forget what it feels.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed I go to play in my studio and crank up the music. I typically have nothing in mind to create I just choose some colors or textures that resonate with me at the moment and begin to paint, or draw, or collage. Soon, often, hours have passed and I feel calmer and when I feel my playtime has been sufficient I can return to life with a more sound and calmer mind to tackle my tasks. For me creativity is essential to my well-being and mental health.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kelleypettibone.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelleypettibonestudio/profilecard/?igsh=dXVpY2h0MWVmc2V6