I have always been obsessed with Kelly Ventura’s amazing watercolor prints. Her unique watercolor florals, allover patterns, and butterfly prints are so fresh and rich in depth and color. For our Kickstarter video, she sent me a video of her process - which was unreal. Watching her create a piece from scratch, brushstroke by brushstroke was unbelievable. (If you are curious, she has posted some time lapse videos on her Instagram account!) Kelly always has huge collaborations and projects in the works, so we were so honored when she agreed to work with us and create one of our initial prints, Navy Tidal. It’s a really beautiful, yet simple pattern that translates as a “wear with anything” neutral.
Kelly currently lives in Michigan with her husband and three young boys. We asked her a bunch of questions to learn more about how she became an artist, where she draws her inspiration from, and how she uses her Kaleido bags when traveling with her family!
First, tell us a little bit about yourself & how you became an artist!
I’ve loved to create for as long as I can remember…..selling my rainbow drawings on the sidewalk out of a Kleenex box since 1987. My interest in art continued through high school, where I had two amazing teachers and mentors nurture that curiosity, which eventually led me to pursue Fine Art in college. With a BFA in Painting/Drawing/Textiles, I soon found the world of surface design and haven’t looked back.
What do you love about being an artist?
I love that I am able to share my work with a wide audience, on a variety of products and hear the stories of why they love the design.
Where do you go to feel inspired?
I feel pretty inspired in my home-studio, the natural light in my space is pretty amazing. I hop around with different types of music during the day depending on the task, but Classical Piano is a favorite on those mile-long to do list days.
Favorite place to travel?
I love to travel, but don’t get away that often. Portugal and Iceland are next up on my list.
Ice cream or french fries?
Ice Cream
What was the inspiration for this design?
I began this Tidal pattern with thoughts of water, and it's cool unpredictable nature. Love the idea of it having two sides; dark, mysterious and endless vs. clear, playful and calm. Tidal is an exploration of those feelings....a gestural glimpse of how water makes me feel.
Why are you excited to work with us on Kaleido Concepts travel products?
I think it’s hard to find perfect travel accessories that are both high quality and well-designed and Kaleido hit the spot!
What are some of your must-have travel essentials?
I love to have smaller totes and pouches inside of larger bags to keep everything organized. This is a must for me when traveling with my young kids…...diapers, snacks, keys, toys, etc…..keeping this stuff organized makes me feel at ease.
Backpack or tote?
I’ve been a tote person for as long as I can remember, but I slowly feel myself creeping into the backpack territory…..it’s the kids, hands-free, no strap shoulder slipping is important when wrangling 3 small boys everyday.
What do you pack in your Kaleido Concepts pouch?
I carry two pouches…..one for my things and one for the boys’ things!