Toni Kelly
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Artist Bio:
Artist Toni Kelly has always lived in North Western Pennsylvania along the shores of Lake Erie. As a child, Toni was inclined to draw and paint, but her love of drawing and painting nature subjects didn’t come until later in life. After moving into her current home and studio, Toni became an avid gardener and backyard birder, often sketching her flowers and yard birds in journals. This was the beginning of her interest in nature art.

Toni’s art education has been self-directed with independent study, classes and workshops. She learned to paint with watercolor by prominent local instructors with additional study in botanical painting at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA.

Toni is well known, both regionally and internationally, in the field of Calligraphy and Book Arts having studied under prominent international instructors. In this field she has been published in Bound and Lettered, and contributed to ‘Nice Rendition’ a book of calligraphic works of art accompanying the lyrics of Cheryl Wheeler. As an art blogger Toni was awarded a feature in Artful Blogging magazine in 2009. 
Toni began combining calligraphy with her painted images after studying under Randall Hasson while attending an international calligraphy conference. She joined the Audubon Society and started to photograph the birds of Presque Isle State Park as reference for her watercolor paintings and mixed media works of art. Toni now portrays nature related images on canvas painting with oils or acrylics. Birds are her main subjects and at times she places the birds in a still life setting along with books and pottery. She has also experimented with transfer designs created on the computer which are added to her paintings. “Since I work from several photos I use photoshop as a tool to work out composition details when placing birds in a still life environment. Then I make a sketch to work out any other details that need to be done prior to transferring to the canvas. Some shading and feather details are done on the canvas in graphite before I begin to paint.”

Her artwork has taken awards in juried shows and invitational exhibitions. Paintings can be found in local galleries and private collections.
Memberships include the Northwestern Pennsylvania Artists Association and the Pittsburgh Guild of Calligraphers.
Artist Statement:
While working in the garden or hiking on a trail at Presque Isle State Park I am constantly inspired by nature's beauty, texture and patterns. I nearly always have my camera to capture the fleeting moments of birds, butterflies or the shear beauty of wildflowers and the light of the landscape. It is from these digital reference photos that I combine to make a composition that tells a story. 
As a volunteer for bird rescue and bird banding I had an opportunity to learn and photograph birds for reference which I would then draw in my sketchbooks. 
Most of my paintings are representational with soft backgrounds as I try to capture a sense of calm and inner peace. My still-life portraits with birds and mixed media pieces create an imaginative story including at times quotes for inspiration. I like to incorporate titles that give a sense of place or emotion about the pieces.

Artist Process:
I will work a layout, usually in photoshop, using one to four reference photos and also make sketches then a drawing which is then transferred to paper or canvas. Working with a limited palette allows me to mix rich earthy colors which are worked in layers starting with muted edges, creating contrast, then finished with details.
For the paintings on old book covers I start by ripping out the pages exposing the spine then paint or draw on the inside of the cover. Sometimes a few pages are left in for design affects. The book covers are then mounted on canvas covered wood strips and wired for hanging. The completed book cover is varnished for protection.
With the Mixed Media portrait type pieces I work in opaque and transparent layers using handmade papers, elements from nature, transfers, and a variety of painting mediums. Color combinations are selected to best express the energy of the art. Working with a variety of inkjet transfer methods the backdrops for portraits and still life paintings are my designs or copyright free design images.
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Affiliations
Northwest Pennsylvania Artist Association
Pittsburgh Guild of Calligraphers
Allegheny Highlands Botanical Artists Society
2002 - 2003 Exhibition Director for the Association of Calligraphic Arts
Erie Art Museum
Presque Isle Audubon Society 
Galleries
Kada Gallery, Erie, PA
Artlore Gallery, Erie, PA
Painted Finch Gallery, Corry, PA
Publications
The Healing Burnout Guide, 2021
​Work published in 'Nice Rendition' Cheryl Wheeler's Lyrics in Calligraphy 2010
Featured in 'Artful Blogging', Winter 2009 Volume 2 Issue 4
Articles in 'Bound and Lettered' titled 'Experimenting with Ross Art Paste' in 2004
and 'Wire Bound' in 2006.
Work published in ‘Letter Arts Review’ 2004 Wedding Edition.
Work published in Times News 2006 Fall Bridal Guide.
Image of work ‘Sleap Frog’ in ‘Leap Frog! The Ribbitting Tale’ 2004
Image of work ‘Fish Tales’ in ‘Go Fish! The Offishial Tale’ 2001
Awards
Honorable Mention 2018 Edinboro Art & Music, Edinboro, PA
Honorable Mention 2016 Wings in the Wild, Glynn Visual Arts, Saint Simons Island, GA
Honorable Mention 2006 Lily Festival, Campbell's Pottery, Edinboro, PA

First place in Mail Art Competition for the 1st Australian MAPs Conference in 2002.

Juried Exhibits
NPAA Biennial, Erie Art Museum, 2021
NPAA Exhibition, Crary Art Gallery, Warren, PA 2020
'Animals, Birds & Wildlife' Richeson75 International Online
     
Meritorious selection  included in the exhibition book - 2018
'Edinboro Art & Music' Edinboro, PA - 2018​
'Wings in the Wild' St. Simons Island, GA - yr. 2016

'Women Create' Jamestown, NY  - yr. 2016
'Women Create' Jamestown, NY  - yr. 2014
'Lily Art Show' Cambridge Springs PA  - yr. 2013
'Women Create' Jamestown, NY  - yr. 2012 
Private Exhibit at Erie Insurance  - yr. 2011 
'Word for Word' Troy OH  - yr. 2003
'Lily Fest' Cambridge Springs PA  - yrs. 2006, 2004, 2003
'Panorama' Erie PA  -yr. 2005

Juried Traveling Exhibit
Mail Art for the Postal Museum of the Smithsonian 2002 - 2005

Invitational Shows & Features
'Visions and Memories: Women of Art' Stonewall Gallery, Nov 9- Dec 8, 2019
'Birds and Beasts'  Kelly Run Gallery,  April 27-June 22, 2019 
'For The Love Of Art' March 22 - 31, 2019
'Clowns' Artlore Gallery, Erie PA 2019
'6 Artists, 6 Visions' Ashtabula Arts Center, Ashtabula, OH 2018
'The Art of Nature' Stonewall Gallery, Cambridge Springs, PA 2016
'Cats & Dogs'  Stonewall Gallery, Cambridge Springs, PA 2014
Two person exhibit 'Flights of Fancy' Glass Growers Gallery, 2014
'Armerie Exhibit'  Bayfront Gallery 2014
'For the Birds'  Stonewall Gallery, Cambridge Springs, PA 2011
Participating artist in 'Postcards From the Gulf', Alabama
‘Nice Rendition’, Cheryl Wheeler’s lyrics in Calligraphy, traveling exhibit 2010 - 2011
Invited exhibitor for the 2007 Christmas Season at Kelly Run Gallery
Featured artist for Heart Gala 2005 creating ‘Many Faces One Heart’
One person show at the Transit Fine Arts Gallery, Oil City , PA 2002
Presented ‘Bookmaking and Creative Book Binding’ at Barnes & Noble.
One of the Erie, PA GoFish and Leap Frog artists who created 'Fish Tales' and 'Sleep Frog'
Chalk Walk artist for Celebrate Erie

Publications

One of the artists featured in
The Healing Burnout Guide - 2021
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Artful Blogging - Winter 2009 Volume 2 Issue 4
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'Nice Rendition' Cheryl Wheeler's Lyrics in Calligraphy
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and an Article about 'Nice Rendition' in Bound and Lettered Vol.9, No.1
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Other publications of Bound and Lettered  /  Bound & Lettered Vol.5 No.3 and Bound & Lettered Vol.3 No.4
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Toni Kelly  /  Erie, PA 16511  /  Copyright 2013-2022 by the Artist
​All rights Reserved
  • HOME
  • ARTIST
  • AVAILABLE ART
  • PAINTINGS
    • LANDSCAPE
    • BIRDS
    • MIXED MEDIA
    • BOTANICAL
    • GRAPHITE DRAWINGS
  • EVENTS
  • CONTACT