Kelley Batson-Howard

Kelley Batson-Howard is a self-taught abstract artist who migrated to Central Florida from Alabama in the late 80’s. She worked most of her adult life raising two daughters and helping run a family business of commercial greenhouses. In 2017, had to close the family business and was uncertain where life would lead her at 56 years old. She took that bad thing and decided to do the thing she had always wanted to do – be an artist. She always felt she was an artist deep in her soul but never acted upon it past high school and a few local art lessons. Kelley joined a local artist studio and has never looked back. She held her breath a few times, but she never looked back. Kelley began creating art in a delightful frenzy, she has never felt more at home and comfortable in her own skin. The excitement to get up, go to her studio, and create is beyond description for her. She says, “I don’t know what I don’t know, so I am free to experiment and see how it turns out. To, then, discover people like what I create is indeed humbling.” The artist creates primarily in acrylics but has expanded her work to include oil and cold wax in the last couple of years.

Batson-Howard works hard to show her work wherever it is accepted in and around Central Florida and is always working towards opportunities that will assist her in making up for what she considers time lost not creating. In the short time Kelley has been applying her creativity and dreams to the canvas, she has had what she considers success in being included in the arts community. She is a member of Florida Women’s Art Association, Marion Cultural Alliance and is an artist member at Leesburg Center for the Arts where she recently completed an artist residency. She is also an exhibiting member of the Beaux Arts of Central Florida group. Her work is currently represented here at Art Spotlight, at Jane’s Art Center in New Smyrna Beach and she shows her work in and around various locations in Orlando through Artscape. In the last few years, she’s shown at many art exhibit locations in the Central Florida area. She has won awards both locally and internationally that never cease to surprise her and has made connections with people on an emotional level with the work she creates. Kelley’s goal as an artist is to make those connections and touch people in a positive way. She wants to fill the world with more love and light while getting to fill her soul with the love and completeness she feels while painting.

Each day is wide open with possibilities and new things to learn. Kelley is simply living life as it comes, creating from her soul, and looking forward to the next chapters of life. She keeps a private studio in Eustis, FL, and welcomes guests by appointment.