Leanne Kelly’s greatest passions in life are the natural world and art. She combines the two, using items such as
gourds and pine needles, to create wonders alongside Mother Nature. “Sometimes I look down at a piece that I am working
on,” she says, “and am amazed that I was able to create something so magical
out of pine needles that simply fall out of a tree.” Sutter Creek Gallery will feature her unique
artworks during the month of February.
Of Onondaga/Potawatomi descent, Kelly has been weaving baskets and
working with traditional tools and crafts most of her life. The artist also loved to draw, and for most
of her younger life, colored pencils were her medium of choice, producing life-like
drawings of plants, animals and ocean life.
In the early 2000s Kelly moved to Jackson and became involved in the
local native culture. She discovered the use of gourds and began combining her
skills in color, drawing and weaving, along with new techniques she had learned,
to create bowls, baskets, lamps and jewelry. This accomplished artist has won many awards,
including the Lansing Art Scholarship, the Congressional Art Award, and the
Chicago Institute of Art Scholarship. She
places first in her class in many of the local gourd competitions and fairs. Her colored pencil work has been featured on
the Today Show.
Sutter Creek Gallery invites you to meet Leanne Kelly at her February 5
reception, from 2 to 5 p.m., and to view her exciting creations. She is one of twenty artists exhibiting at the gallery located at 40 Main Street,
Sutter Creek. Besides original paintings
and photography, the gallery offers many affordable items including prints,
cards, jewelry, pottery, gourds and fiber arts as well as custom matting and
framing. The gallery is open Thursday
through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For additional information, call 209-267-0228, email suttercreekgallery@gmail.com, or visit www.suttercreekgallery.com
