Portrait art through the generations

Portrait Art THROUGH THE Generations

Inspiration in a photographer’s garden

Courtesy The Kelly Gallery, Johnson County LIVING WELL Magazine

Creating portrait art in her stunning gardens in Stilwell, Kansas, for over 23 years, Kelly Daniels, of The Kelly Gallery, has captured many generations of families and become an icon in the Midwest.

Setting the scene with meandering paths through English gardens filled with flowers, children are photographed by birdbaths and a heart shaped pond at the edge of a forest with a curved stone bridge. Many times the children are seen feeding the ducks raised by Sam and Ben, Kelly’s children. The gardens were designed as scenes for art.  Photographing three and four generations of families, people come from all over the country to continue the tradition.

George and Jo Pierson of Prairie Village, Kansas, grandparents of Layne and Reilly, are one of the families that enjoy Kelly’s special touch with children. They started with a traditional portrait of their four children with their two beloved dogs years ago. Every few years, as the children graduated from high school, Kelly designed portraits of each child showcasing their individual personalities by adding in the interests of the children such as playing the guitar and reading. Now Jo is enjoying picking out beautiful dresses for her darling granddaughters for their three generation portrait by window light. Her next plan is for a tea party in the gardens when her new grandbaby becomes a toddler. They love hanging the interactive artwork on their walls and enjoy giving the art to their children for their homes as well. They can’t imagine having any other artwork that didn’t have the meaning and joy that their art will always bring to them, growing in value as each year goes by.

For more information on The Kelly Gallery call 913-897-7340 or go to the website at
www.TheKellyGallery.com.