My work is inspired by my love of the outdoors and everyday life in my rural, Colorado mountain town. I like the way words mix with images, and often add Chinese take-out containers, chocolate wrappers and torn book pages to my paintings that can be serendipitous to the viewer. If you look closely, you’ll find all kinds of surprises. I am a mixed media painter. I often begin a painting with collage because it adds so much texture and depth to my canvases. I love to allow the collage to peek through the painting. You never know what you might find. It could be a sufi poem, a saucy romance novel, or my son’s homework. I grew up in a lot of industrial towns in the Midwest, moving every two years. My dad built coal-fired power plants and my mom is an artist. I like the authenticity of those places (ugly and tough as they are), because the people are real and hard working. I am a mom and designer living in a rural mountain town in southwest Colorado, surrounded by 14,000’ mountains. Before being a mom, I spent many years traveling around the world rock climbing, ice climbing and climbing mountains. I spent my summers working for the US Forest Service as a Wilderness Ranger and Fire Fighter, and saved my pennies to travel to third world countries in the off-season. To learn more about my art and my story, visit me here: http://kelliedayart.com/. MY FAVORITE MATERIALS: Golden Acrylic Paints, saucy romance novels, Sufi poetry, Chinese take-out containers, my son's homework, handmade stamps, Origami papers, food wrappers, Golden Soft Gel, paint markers, color shapers