Visionary Artist
Kelly Vivanco
“Rather than try to make a statement with my art I paint scenes and characters that draw me in and resonate with something deeper inside,” says Vivanco. “Most of my paintings are inspired from something intangible like the complex feelings knocking around inside of me, or simple things like the pose of a child in a vintage photograph or the quizzical tilt of a bird’s head. I enjoy portraiture without parameters and a sliding scale of exaggerated features for the subjects of my paintings.”
Vivanco creates her art with a sense of openness, both in how she paints and how she invites people to experience her work. “It is not an intention of mine to create a tableau of symbolism or encode some secret meaning in my paintings,” Vivanco explains. “My work takes shape spontaneously and develops organically. I like to paint and see where it goes. I often don’t have answers to questions posed by my finished works. 
People ask me what a painting is about—I just ask them what they think it’s about. Their answer is as valid as mine.
In 2004, Kelly Vivanco became a Studio artist at Distinction in Escondido, Calif. and currently maintains a working studio there. Her work has shown in numerous galleries and is held in collections across the U.S. and abroad.
