Wild & Wandering

Stephanie Kellett is a Canadian rural artist living and working on the traditional territory of the Sinxt, Ktunaxa, Silx First Nation known as Nelson, BC.

Growing up in BC's Okanagan Valley, Kellett was surrounded by lakes, open pine forests, and wildlife that would wander down from the hills and into town. Tumbleweeds would literally roll down main streets on hot summer afternoons. This upbringing laid the foundation for themes of connection to wildness that Kellett continually highlights in her work.

After graduating from the Okanagan University College in 2003 with her Diploma in Fine Arts, Kellett moved to Victoria BC to complete her BFA in Art History. In 2010, Kellett again relocated, this time to the Kootenay region of BC where she currently resides, and began the process of teaching herself how to paint. She often takes multiple week wilderness trips to the Chilcotin Plateau and Yukon tundra to cultivate transformational experiences to create new work from. These trips have also afforded her multiple beautiful close encounters with grizzlies, black bears, foxes, moose and lynx, and have deepened her love and connection to the natural world.

Kellett exhibits in both public and commercial venues. She has created murals for the Nelson International Mural Festival, Artswells Festival, and Reimagine Festival in Penticton, BC. She has compiled and illustrated four books. Her work can be found in private collections around the globe.