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

Kelly, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

As an artist who primarily paints pet portraits, I can’t say that one painting is more meaningful than another. Many of the portraits I have done are in memory of lost pets. My first acrylic pet painting was of my dog, Oreo, who passed away when I was in college. I wanted to create a piece that captured him when he was happy and with us. Since then, I found a love to paint animals and hope to capture a happy moment on canvas for others too. Unfortunately, our pets don’t last as long as a canvas can. I thank my parents for allowing me and my siblings to grow up with beautiful creatures such as dogs. I now have two and they are me and my husband’s babies! I am currently working on two paintings that are both meaningful like the others. One is a surprise for my cousin who lost one of her dogs recently. I often see her posting about how much she misses him, and you can just feel the love she has for her animals, and it always breaks my heart. The loss of a pet is the loss of a family member to me. The other painting I am working on is for a friend who lost his dog years ago. I noticed he had many pictures of her in his office and offered to paint her free of charge. He told me the heartbreaking story of losing her, and I knew I had to paint her. Again, I could feel the hurt and pain he had for missing her. Every piece is meaningful when I create it, and I hope it is ten times more meaningful when the owner receives that piece.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kelly Fuller and I am a full-time art teacher, swim coach, and small business owner. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia and Graphic Design. My small business is for my art and photography. I have always loved art and kept with it through college and after. I grew up with animals all my life and naturally, I wanted to paint them. I focus primarily on painting pet portraits including working on canvas, wood, and ornaments. My goal when I create these portraits is to capture a life on canvas that can be remembered for years. Every animal I have painted has such different characteristics and personalities, it is so fun and an honor to paint each one. Aside from pet portraits, I am working on a series that focuses on how different people in various professions experience rest and exhaustion throughout the day. I was inspired by this quote by Henryk Sienkiewicz, “On an exhausted field, only weeds grow.”
From firefighters, to doctors, to teachers and servers. My goal for this series is to highlight how hard people work and hopefully rest to be able to do their job again and again each day.
I am thankful for my supportive family and friends, and all my clients that have believed in me to create, or capture something special for them. I am still learning and growing in my skills and hope to continue creating pieces for others and myself while doing so.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is the reactions of clients when they receive a finished piece. Not all reactions are what I would hope for, but the majority have been smiles, happiness, and tears. Tears because the painting captures their lost loved pet on a canvas forever. One more rewarding aspect as an artist, is when I overcome an obstacle or a hard painting. I have sat for hours before, re-started a piece multiple times, and have been so frustrated with the medium that it would bring me to tears! But I have found that when I stop trying to paint like other artists, and go with how I perceive the subject, the painting comes out more naturally. Then, when I give that painting to the owner or client, the whole process is worth it and rewarding in the end.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I am so grateful to my parents, family members, husband, and friends that have supported me before, while, and during creating my small business. I am also grateful for all the clients that have trusted me to create a piece for them and shared my work. Although I have a website, Facebook page, and Instagram page that I push, I believe the most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been their word of mouth and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kellymarieartandphotography.com
• Instagram: Kelly Marie Art & Photography
• Facebook: Kelly Marie Art and Photography