Artist Profile

My name is Kelly Stamblesky Smith but I have been creating joyful things under the name Busy Little Elf since 2006. I have been a part-time artist since my little one was born three years ago. Before that, from 1998 to 2005, I managed and merchandised a gallery in Cleveland, Oh. I started creating classic paper mache props and installation art there. I still occasionally get jobs using my visual merchandising acumen and oversized props (who unfortunately live in our attic now!) but have scaled down my work to a much more manageable size. Working in a smaller scale has allowed me to use paper clay but my imagination is not limited to just paper clay and paper mache. I have used gouache to paint children's art and the cover illustrations for a recently released cd. I make little elf ornaments in felt, chenille pipe cleaners and wood. I also do Hockey portraiture in pen and ink and watercolor. A great love is life drawing but with life happening all around me right now, I really don't have the time to take any 'classes' so that I can draw from a live model.

 I love Christmas and am currently working on a proposal to local communities to create a festival around a main street shopping area. I hope to involve local artists, businesses and school children in creating a visual extravaganza for the community: An entire shopping district decked out with visual window displays that you would have seen in years past (or NYC now:o) I also have been focusing on my Christmas Ornaments designs and year round nature art.

I prefer selling in galleries and at shows but I do maintain two etsy shops:

My Christmas Ornaments, anthropomorphic art and one of a kind paperclay sculptures:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bzlittlechristmaself

My nature inspired artwork (and slight hodge podge of other things)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/busylittleelf