Kelly Rightsell

KELLY RIGHTSELL

Greensboro, North Carolina

FIGURATIVE, WHIMSY, CERAMICS

Born and raised in the South, Kelly has spent her life surrounded by the beauty of its landscapes — from the rolling mountains to the radiant sunsets along the coast. These natural elements have long inspired her artistic expression, serving as recurring themes throughout her creative journey.

Art has been part of Kelly’s life for as long as she can remember. From shaping small sculptures out of creek clay as a child to studying formally at London’s Blackheath School of Art and earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from East Carolina University, her artistic path has been both instinctive and intentional.

Early in her career, Kelly shared her love of creativity as an elementary art teacher in North Carolina and Virginia. Later, she and her husband launched a children’s art and design business that flourished beyond their expectations, allowing her to blend entrepreneurship with artistry during her years of raising a young family. Today, Kelly devotes her time to the pottery studio, where she explores form, texture, and movement through sculpture, as well as to painting — capturing the essence of southern landscapes, coastal scenes, and the joyful simplicity of everyday life.