About Kelly
Kelly L. Walker is an American-born, self-taught artist who found her way to Baltimore, Maryland by the age of 18. Walker absorbs the beauty, chaos, and reality of Baltimore City and channels it into her work.
Walker paints in fits of inspiration, translating her mood and emotion to canvas. She pushes mediums past their intended purpose and encourages them to collide and react, not rejecting happy accidents. Her works are intricately layered using a wide range of atypical materials,… more
Saturation
These pieces are a reflection of my raw energy and time. When I get a moment to create, I explode with movement, artistic chaos, and rebellion using whatever materials are in reach resulting in an unforced expression on canvas.
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Catch The Wave2022 // 36 in x 36 in
mixed media on canvas
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Everything Is By Design2022 // 36 in x 60 in
mixed media on canvas -
Spectator2022 // 52 in x 54 in
mixed media on canvas, framed
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A Sudden Realization2023 // 60 in x 60
mixed media on recycled canvas
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Sleep Rockin'2023 // 36 in × 36 in
mixed media and resin on canvas
Vacation
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Cape Cod2021 // 71 in x 48 in
acrylic and wax on canvas
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Deep Dive2023 // 60 in x 48 in
mixed media on canvas
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Effects Of Touch2023 // 37.75 in x 32 in
mixed media on canvas, framed
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Paradime Shift2023 // 36 in x 50 in
mixed media on canvas, framed
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Midnight Sea2023 // 20 in x 20 in
mixed media and plaster on canvas
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This Is The One2023 // 20 in x 20 in
mixed media on canvas
Artstar Series
These pieces are created using the workboard paper of Walker's sister company— Artstar Custom Paintworks. The layers are built up over many months of creating client or designer samples and it becomes a visual journal of the company's recent projects. Intentional additions of texture, drips, and colors are added to finish each piece.
Free-style
Wild explosions of color are scribble-scrabbled in frenetic fits, using old paintings as a jumping off place. I layer with spray paint over intricate textures and finish with melted wax to level these pieces from chaos to refinement. Most are titled after streets in New Orleans, inspired by the vibrant comeback energy of that great city.
Textures
The Defiant Textures series celebrates the uncommon marriage of disparate mediums creating atypical textures. These works express my metaphorical world- gritty and purposeful, polished and tidy with a twist of rebelliousness and a range of courage. These works also highlight the process of healing that comes after pain as a catalyst. Using unique materials, textures, and application processes, this series creates metaphors in each step of their creation.
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Security Blanket
2023 // 42 in x 36
mixed media on recycled canvas, framed
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This Turned Out Nice2023 // 24 in x 24
mixed media on canvas
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Stretch Out And Wait2023 // 44 in x 28 in
mixed media and plaster on recycled canvas
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2023 // 73.25 in x 43.75 in mixed media and plaster on recycled canvas, framed Time Over Dreamscape2023 // 73.25 in x 43.75 in
mixed media and plaster on recycled canvas, framed
Heavy Metal
This series celebrates the uncommon marriage of two mediums: asphalt, an everyday material, and gold leaf, a traditional symbol of opulence. These works express my metaphorical world— gritty and purposeful, polished and tidy, with a twist of rebelliousness.
Bandage
All healing comes after some pain as a catalyst. My hope with this work is to surprise the viewer with its simplicity. I lock the bandages in place with plaster, then I forcibly remove the plaster in areas to expose the bandages underneath. Each piece is unique like our individual process of healing.
Dahlia & Fish-scale
The Dahlia Flower and Fish Scale series are sculpted works that are methodically created in a rhythmic three-part motion: scoop, lay, and smooth. The repetitive nature of this work puts me in a meditative, quiet place. The scales are seemingly uniform but as you get closer you notice the unique qualities of each stroke, emphasizing the handmade nature of the work.
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36" in Neutral Dahlia, detail2021 // 36 in diameter
mixed media and plaster on canvas
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36" Neutral Dahlia2021 // 36 in diameter
mixed media and plaster on canvas
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36" Denim Dahlia, detail2022 // 36 in diameter
plaster and paint on panel, unframed
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36" Denim Dahlia2022 // 36 in diameter
plaster and paint on panel, unframed
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30" Turquoise Dahlia, detail2022 // 30 in diameter
plaster and paint on canvas, unframed
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30" Turquoise Dahlia2022 // 30 in diameter
plaster and paint on canvas, unframed
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46" Camellia2021 // 46 in diameter
plaster and paint on canvas, unframed