Throughout my life the main subject of my work has been the Cavalier King Charles

Spaniel, I grew up surrounded by at one point sixteen of these little dogs who naturally became my muses, bred to be dogs of luxury and refinement (though referred to in King Charles II’s time as “royal flea catchers”) Their personalities and mannerisms are reflections of their royal backgrounds.

      In my paintings I portray their perception of the world. The placement of the dogs in their

ever changing rooms are a recreation of how they live and interact with their surroundings. Like most pets, these gentle creatures simply wait for you to come home.

     The painting within a painting which appears in each of my worlds represents the

Spaniel’s seminal home, Redbird Farm, located on the outskirts of Iowa City, IA where my

mother, as a young girl, first encountered the breed. The lady in the painting represents my

mother wearing a black dress handmade for her, and is suggestive of King Charles II’s reign and time. My paintings are like pieces of a puzzle. Each scene relates to the other and tells a kind of narrative as the painting within each painting will eventually evolve into a story.

     Kelly earned her BFA in Painting at the University of Iowa.