We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lynn Christine Kelly a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lynn Christine, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I think the most meaningful piece that I have done, and continue to exhibit whenever possible, is “the Forest for the Trees”. An installation of fabric trees that people can wander through and listen to sounds of nature, it is all-encompassing and rejuvenating. Public response has been amazing. The written comments as well as verbal conversations are supportive and inspiring. There was a Montessori school inside the last building the installation was in and those little kids would go there when they were struggling and just sit on the floor under the “trees” until they felt better. That’s the best response I could possibly hope for.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I grew up in a small town in British Columbia but I really wanted to be in a big city so, after high school, I went to college in Vancouver and landed in the construction industry. When I picked construction my parents were surprised but not as surprised as one might think. Turned out that I had a few telltale passions. All my life I loved to draw and paint but I also loved numbers, and I loved to play with blocks. Determined to make some money and to live well, I decided that construction was a better choice than any creative effort. I became an estimator, working on projects varying from high-rise condominiums to high-end offices and hotels and even bridges and tunnels.
After about 25 years I began to tire of it all. The rat race was wearing me down. I signed up for a watercolour class and when I left the office on time on Monday’s people would ask me where I was going. My answer was always “therapy”. After that class I never looked back. A few years later I left construction completely and attended the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) where I received my BFA with Distinction and the following year I went to the Chelsea College of Art and Design (CCAD) in London, UK, obtaining my MFA.
My life has been better since the switch to the art world. Harder in many ways, but better all the same. The hours put in are often the same long hours as being Chief Estimator and the competition is fierce, but the work is much more satisfying. Don’t get me wrong – I loved the construction industry and loved what I did. Until I didn’t. I had a mug for my office and I always joked that when it broke I would know it was time to leave. Then one day it was gone. No idea if someone broke it or took it but it was just gone. And, within a year, so was I.
I’m a “goal setter”. I’ve always been a goal setter. Upon graduation from CCAD I determined to do at least one public art project and to do regular exhibitions with my work. Joining the Red Head Collective in Toronto allowed me to do regular exhibitions and to participate in a few international exchanges. I’ve done a large bronze for a business park in Regina, Saskatchewan, and, in collaboration with Xiaojing Yan, a stainless steel and glass piece at a condominium project in Grimsby, Ontario. My work has grown from 10” x 10” paintings to 6’ x 10’. “Go big or go home” was my motto for a long while. I moved to Calgary in 2020 and my studio here is smaller with much lower ceilings so a change was needed. I’m now working on a slightly more moderate scale with paintings usually varying from 30” x 48” to 60” x 40”. I’m happy to say that while the work is not small, this scale seems to speak to me and I am enjoying new challenges.
Multifaceted, my work involves painting, sculpture, and installation. Strongly connected to the natural environment and a product of my upbringing in the interior of British Columbia with a father in the forest industry, I focus on nature, trees and forests in particular. My paintings and sculptures are organic abstractions, focused on the connections between humankind and the rest of the natural environment, forests and trees in particular.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I think the biggest thing society could do to support artists and creatives is to start making it an important and viable part of life. In the UK all the national museums and galleries are free and people take their kids there from the time they are young. In North America, the US and Canada, although I don’t know about Mexico, those places come at a cost so many people don’t go. They never learn about the history of art and they often never get to see the most important contemporary art until they’re grown and able to choose it for themselves. Human nature is such that if we are taught to value something when we are kids, we’ll continue to value it later in life too. Art is simply and ingrained part of the culture of the UK. Society could support that idea here too.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
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I am passionate about trees and forests.Trees are living things, filled with the essence and energy of Mother Earth, and possessing an aura of peace and power. They are the basis of global ecosystems, providing us with clean air, supporting an untold number of species, caretaking the soils and water supplies, and providing sustenance, medicines, and shelter. They are my friends and confidants, my mentors and sounding boards. They are a strong support system, a haven, and ultimately a source of rejuvenation. I want them all preserved and no more trees cut down. I realize that’s an unrealistic idea but I really want people to think about trees and forests, to discover their healing qualities and their power to restore both human being and the planet as a whole. To respect them and to value them. They have always been a intrinsic part of my life and I would share that with others. To further this idea I would like to share a quotation: Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life. |
Contact Info:
- Website: lynnchristinekelly.com
- Instagram: lynnchristinekelly
- Facebook: lynnchristinekellyart
- Twitter: lynnckelly
Image Credits
Korby Banner for Personal Photo Albert Chow for images 2 and 6 Toni Hafkenscheid for images 3, 4, and 5