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Kelly Steller Hrad, a Plano artist adding dimension to paint on canvas

Through the winding roads of Mobile, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; and Baldwin, Kansas on a journey that took her from her hometown of Albuquerque to Plano, Kelly Steller Hrad learned to express emotions through art.
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Art Kelly Steller Hrad, Plano, Texas

Through the winding roads of Mobile, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; and Baldwin, Kansas on a journey that took her from her hometown of Albuquerque to Plano, Kelly Steller Hrad learned to express emotions through art.

Art Kelly Steller Hrad, Plano, Texas

Inspired by many of the Impressionist and Reflectionist artists, including Georgia O’Keefe, as well as the beauty of nature, Kelly’s work is vibrant, bold and colorful. She works with a combination of oils and acrylic using a variety of mediums and application tools to create a unique three-dimensional texture with distinct movement on the canvas.

“There are so many mediums available to create texture in both oil and acrylic. I’ve played around with a number of them and I do have some favorites. Much like making great mashed potatoes, the key is to not over mix. I like to let the colors flow and create their own shades as I layer them onto the canvas. I enjoy starting with an almost ethereal blended background and then bring it to life with contrasting colors in heavy texture. I will say that I am thankful that my parents let me take cake decorating classes as a kid—some of those same techniques work well on canvas. In fact, one of my favorite palette knives is a cake spatula and a pie server!” Says Kelly Steller Hrad of her unique technique.

Art Kelly Steller Hrad, Plano, Texas

A full-time executive assistant at a technology and communications company in Carrollton, Kelly enjoys studio time with fellow artists at The Artist Within (artistwithin.com), an independent studio in Plano that offers a variety of art classes for adults, teens and children. A lifelong collection of over 100 teddy bears keeps her company and inspires memories to paint from home in her ‘Bear Studio.’ “It’s a room filled with countless memories of family, friends, experiences and love. I’ve also encroached on my husband’s garage with another easel and table with paintings in various stages of completion.” Says Kelly.

Enjoy Kelly’s work at kellystellerhrad.com