About
Hi! I’m Kelsea.
I’m a Pacific Northwest based illustrator and designer.
Much of my life has been spent around the west coast exploring inlets, Washington’s beautiful terrain and spending time appreciating local music and arts scenes.
Like most artists, I got my start at a young age and have honed my own style in more recent years. Today, I’m most well known for my ink wash technique which is a painting / drawing cross over.
I spend most of my time as senior designer at a digital based agency in Spokane, Washington.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS…
Teach people how to navigate the murky waters of brand expression
Illustrate natural, whimsical or macabre subjects
Promote local arts, music programs for kids, environmental education or animal rescue organizations
Catch some of my art adventures on social
Take a look through some recent posts or follow along if you’d like to see more.
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 and 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.
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 wildlife with plants growing out of them and some of their skeletal structures visible or an exploration of various poisonous plants and animals.
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.
I love painting, but spending the bulk of my time as a senior 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.