Meet Kelsey Shields | Landscape Artist and Live Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Shields and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
This is such a great question and honestly, something I’m almost constantly thinking about.

When I first started out as an artist, I had just left my job as an elementary art teacher. Even though having kids still felt far off, I knew I wanted to create a career that would allow me to be home with them when the time came. I couldn’t see how teaching and motherhood would realistically fit together. Teaching left me completely exhausted each day, and I was determined to build something that felt energizing and allowed me to both create and parent.

Now, I have a two-year-old and twins on the way this fall. This idea of “balance” has never been more real.

For me, work-life balance isn’t something static, and I don’t think of it as a daily juggling act. It’s more drawn out and shaped by longer seasons. Sometimes those seasons last a week or two, and sometimes they stretch into months or even years. But I try to stay present with where I am and what matters most in each one.

Right now, I’m in a season of focusing on work and getting my business ready for a stretch when it will need to shift. I’m also looking ahead to what might be a five-year season where my work takes a different shape that fits more naturally alongside parenting until all my kids are in school.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Using paint to capture pivotal moments in nature with loved ones has always been the common thread running through every facet of my work. I’m drawn to bringing new life to the kinds of memories that make me feel fully alive: remote campsites with friends, days on the river, dirt road views, hikes to alpine lakes, and encounters with wildlife. That same energy naturally led me to painting the joy-filled moments of others at outdoor mountain weddings.

Right now, I’m especially excited about a couple of new offerings.

The first is a collection called Perfectly Petite 2.0, featuring images people have sent in from some of their favorite moments in nature. Each piece is small, colorful, and painted on wood panel. I love getting a glimpse of what inspires others, those joyful and awe-filled moments, and I can’t wait to see the full collection come together.

The second is Vignette Sketches, which I describe as documentary style live art for the candid couple. These quick, gestural sketches with pops of color are meant to capture unscripted moments throughout the wedding day, such as family hugs, kids playing, and dance floor energy. The finished sketches are gathered into an album that helps tell the emotional story of the day. I’m so excited to launch this offering and see where it leads.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colorado has been my home for almost a decade, which I absolutely cannot believe! Some of my favorite things about living here definitely revolve around coffee shops, parks, and mountain adventures.

I lived in the Wash Park area for a long time and still love swinging by Wash Perk for a quick coffee and a walk around the park. People are happy there, and it has such a great energy.

While there are so many fun things to do in the city and along the Front Range, my personal preference is always to head into the mountains. I’d take the long road trip option every time, stopping at campsites along the way. We’d visit Paonia for a laid-back winery experience, Blue Mesa Reservoir for floating on tubes and relaxing by the beach, and Telluride for bluegrass music and some of the most jaw-dropping hikes in the state. If we could add in a trail ride on horseback, that would be the cherry on top. We’d make time for local spots, painting outside, and catching up with friends along the way.

If anyone wants to clear their calendar for some adventuring, I’m your girl.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are more than a few people I could credit with helping me take the leap into becoming a full-time artist and sticking with it. First and foremost, my friends and family, who have always cheered me on, as well as every single person who’s ever shared my work or offered feedback. Creating and selling artwork in a vacuum just doesn’t work. I truly wouldn’t be here without their support.

Right now, I’m especially grateful for the women who consistently show up to listen, offer advice, and fuel my creativity. My college friend Aly Houng is an endlessly inspiring artist and friend. Cait Bambanek with Ohana (a shop in Steamboat and Breckenridge) took a chance on me years ago and has become such a wonderful encourager. Mallory McCamy, a fellow artist and mother, is someone I’m so thankful to have in my corner. Hannah Wilson, Jennie Lou, and Olivia Andruss, all fellow live painters, always show up with wisdom and support through the wild experiences that come with this work.

I’m also a total podcast junkie and can’t recommend Goal Digger, The Art Coaching Club Podcast, and Own Your Business enough.

Website: https://kelseyshieldsart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseyshieldsart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelseyshieldsart

Image Credits
Afrik Armando, Anna Steuart