Charlsie Kelly paints primarily in watercolor, but also works in pastel and loves to work outdoors; you can't keep her away from oil paint, acrylic, or any other medium for that matter. Charlsie is like a ray of light in an otherwise gloomy time. She divides her time between Costa Rica and her studio in Pacific Grove, CA, "America's Last Home Town." Her mischievous take on the world, her deep creativity, and straightforward approach to life, shines through in her character and in her work: oils, jewelry, watercolors, sculpture, acrylics, and even clothing. Charlsie was one of the founders of Gallery 417, and Kelly’s Grand Avenue Artworks, was, until recently, a creative center of artistic activities such as demonstrations, exhibits, art classes for children and adults, and artist receptions. Though Artworks closed down, she has opened a working studio in Grand Avenue in the same complex where Bijouterie and Crackpot Studios are found.
She has taken over part of the space once used by Red Mill Gallery of artist David Rojas and transformed the space. One stands in her studio enthralled at all the work and the conspicuous creative dexterity that radiates from Charlsie and from her work. She makes an apology for “the mess” in her studio, but it’s not a mess as such as it is a very complicated assembly of paintings, artistic pieces, art supplies, mobiles, jewelry, photos, canvases, shelves of books, and art supplies. In the studio, everywhere you look there’s another whimsical, colorful, bright expression of her unstoppable creative output.
