Kelly Schott - Ursula at Burning Man 2019
Kelly Schott was born and raised in San Diego, California and has been actively creating since a very young age. After receiving her Bachelors of Science in the field of Media Arts and Animation, she went on to pursue her studies in Holistic Health and Massage Therapy. Colliding her passions in the arts and leading a holistic lifestyle, Kelly now lives and works from her home in the beautiful country side of Valley Center, CA.
Kelly works in a variety of mediums, but paint and drawing tools – such as pen and inks, have always been a favorite. Her work focuses primarily on exploring physical anatomy, biology, and philosophy to facilitate her fascination with flora, fauna, and the human experience. Her work is heavily influenced by her love for ornamentation, architecture, the art nouveau movement, scientific illustrations, as well as the unique art of body modification. She has always had an affinity for octopus in art, finding their way into her paintings and ceramic sculptures. She has stated, "Their body forms are so organic and free, they're easy and fun to play with. Octopus are very alien-like and incredibly intelligent animals, I have always had a fascination with them and working with them in my art has always brought me such joy."
When it came time to brainstorm ideas for her proposal for Burning Man 2019, it seemed almost effortless to gravitate towards building something around the octopus while blending in all of her favorite art forms and inspirations, namely filigree ornamentation and art nouveau inspired decoration.
At 20' x 20', this is no small octopus and her loving nickname, "Ursula", came about as an endearing pet name of affection during build time that summer. Ursula is a conglomeration of all the things that Kelly finds beautiful, and her resonance speaks volumes for the creatures she represents.
You can find this artist's work and other NFTs from the Burning Man community at TTITD, the gallery and marketplace for desert creators.
http://www.ttitd.art