About
Hey, I'm Kelsea.
I’m a Pacific Northwest based American illustrator and designer most known for my ink wash technique and digital illustration. Right now, I’m the Senior Graphic Designer on a small but mighty team of marketers who work in the financial industry. Keep reading to learn more!
Experience
The Art
From tearing apart church envelopes to draw on in 2002 to teaching my first ink workshop in 2019, I have enjoyed making art as long as I can remember – like many artists.
My practices are informed by a love for nature and music. My work is characterized as being dark and whimsical. While browsing, you will see the influence of song lyrics, titles or general feelings that are evoked while listening and painting.
As for nature, I have always appreciated the outdoors and am fascinated by how things work. Because of this, the mercilessness of nature is one of my favorite subjects to paint. You’ll find contrast in young wildlife with plants growing out of them and some of their skeletal structures visible. There’s also a whole host of lesser-liked and often poisonous flora and fauna too.
The Medium
India ink has been my primary focus since 2015. Ink is versatile and reacts in interesting ways when it hits a canvas. The required tools for ink painting are relatively low maintenance to pack around and the permanence of ink is a good metaphor for life. You should try it sometime. If you are interested in private lessons, send me an email!
Occasionally, I use acrylic paint on canvas or wood panel and am looking forward to diving further into this approach. Right now, most of my personal projects are created this way.
I love painting, but spending 40 hours a week as a senior graphic designer helps round out my skill set. I use a combination of layout, vector and digital painting programs to deliver vibrant, friendly design solutions that emphasize storytelling.
Location
I am currently located in Spokane, Washington. I’ve lived all over WA – from Olympia, to Vancouver to Spokane.
I’m looking forward to being more mobile someday and taking my work on the road while traveling the US and other countries.
Teach people how to navigate the murky waters of brand experssion
Illustrate natural, whimsical or macabre subjects
Promote local arts, music programs for kids, environmental education or animal rescue organizations
