Episode 25: Kelly Rae Roberts
As a former social worker with zero art experience, Kelly Rae picked up her first paintbrush at age 30 ‐ that's when everything started to change. Although she had been collaging and card making at home after work, it was when she started adding painting to her cards and scrapbooking that Kelly’s passion ignited.
She explains painting brought her what she was craving: healing, unburdened joy, and awakening. Kelly Rae started blogging about her process, and before long, her cards turned into paintings with collaging mixed in. In 2006, when Etsy was first starting out, she began showing her work there, and before long she got a licensing partner through Etsy. She started exhibiting wall art and was approached by a book editor to turn her blog post into a book. Her style of truth‐telling and her possibility‐driven approach to life, work, and art quickly spread, reaching people from around the country. She shares her journey of being “an accidental artist,” becoming a full‐time artist in 2008, having her art up in 60,000 retail shops, launching her own shop, and creating a community of “possibilitarians” —people who believe in the spirit of possibility and that encourage each other to do the things they never thought they could do.(3:55‐11:11)
Her inspirational style goes back to high school, when she recalls her love of all things that had wings. From high school through college, she had butterflies, that turned into angels, all over her walls. Today, these winged figures are a hallmark of her work. Another source of inspiration is the conversations Kelly Rae has with her creative community, friends and family and the sentiments sparked by them. Today, she works with Benartex to bring her artistry to fabric.
Although she’d been interested in fabric design for a long time, it wasn’t until Benartex reached out to her, and Kelly Rae Roberts is founder of KellyRaeRoberts.com and fabric designer for Benartex, the Bernina sister company. She's a creator of several E‐courses, books, home decor, gifts, stationery products, and retreats that focus on the idea that when we let art out, we let love in. She began collaborating with one of their designers, and she was able to translate her ideas into fabric. The process starts with Kelly Rae creating a painting using multiple layers of vintage wallpaper and paint to create patterns and depth. She then adds texture and paints the hero image on top, an angel or other winged creature. Once done, she works with the fabric designer to create arresting patterns. It’s a fascinating process, and one that attracts a lot of interest. Her fabrics are used by all different types of quilters in all kinds of quilts, from traditional to super‐modern. She loves that she now lives in Sister, Oregon, which is known for its quilting community and is home to the International Quilt Festival. The Stitching Post is a local store that carries her line; the staff has also made several quilts using her fabric. She says, “It’s been fun to be doing fabric while living in this small town that is all about quilting.” (13:44– 25:25)
Kelly Rae’s fascinating story is a testament to the power of synchronicity, trusting in the process, and paying attention to the tugs on our sleeves, what wants attention and then following the breadcrumbs. It’s obvious that Kelly puts her heart and soul into everything she creates. After listening to the podcast, you’re going to want to connect with her. You can do so at her website, KellyRaeRoberts.com, and by sending her an email at hello@kellyroberts.com.
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