Collection: Harper Morehouse, Kelly

A Newfoundlander by birth, and having lived in various places across Canada and the US, Kelly now lives with her family and many beloved critters on a farm in the rolling hills of rural Nova Scotia. It is here that she draws her inspiration, from the land, the people, and the nature surrounding her. Her artistic practice leans towards realism while also exploring abstraction.

Kelly attended NSCAD University in 2001 and returned in 2021 to complete her BFA. She has been active in the arts community for many years. In 2011, she was a founding member of the Winding River Art Gallery, an artist-run cooperative in Stewiacke, NS. 

When not at work in her garret, you might find her in the barn of the field, down by the stream or at the beach, often exploring with a sketchbook and camera in hand. 

Artist Statement

From: The Sky Looked Different

 Living a farming life, I spend much of my time outside working and also exploring the nearby fields, woodlands and shorelines. The rhythm of expansion, decay, climate and atmospheric variations that I experience, along with the plants, animals and people living inter-connectedly in these complex environments, are often my subjects and the source of my inspiration.

 Mushrooms, seemingly mundane, frequently living out their brief existence, hidden in the underbrush in apparent solitude, are often connected to an immense unseen symbiotic mycorrhizal social network.

 These sensitive organisms, are said to be ”among earths greatest marvels.”  They provide food, life saving medicine and some even possess “magical” power over the mind. They communicate using nature’s intricate language. I’m learning to  “listen” to that voice, spoken in sometimes obvious, but more often subtle, transitory fluctuations. We all might experience and possibly overlook these fleeting moments, where delicate nuances of light mix with the shadowy awe infused atmosphere.

The  mushrooms in this body of work stand like beacons, calling our attention, inviting us to glimpse, into the labyrinth.