Kelly Forte, Flora & Moss, 2024, mixed media
Kelly Childs Forte is a painter whose work explores the intersection of geometry, nature, and spiritual energy. Working on both canvas and paper, she blends structure and intuition to create visual landscapes that feel like portals-gateways to another world,another dimension, or a hidden truth within.
For Kelly, life, nature, and movement are sacred sources of inspiration. The marks she makes-fluid, intuitive, and layered-are not just compositional tools but spiritual reminders: moments of presence, gestures of energy, and reflections of the soul. Every line, shape, and subtle nuance becomes a thread of connection between worlds-between self and spirit, chaos and order, the visible and the unseen.
Her process begins with spontaneous mark-making, often in charcoal, and evolves through layers of paint, form, and texture. She allows each piece to unfold organically, guided by energy rather than expectation. The resulting work feels both grounded and transcendent. Kelly often incorporates gold leaf as a high-vibrational and spiritual element, symbolizing divine light and sacred frequency. This luminous detail acts like a light language across the surface-infusing the work with intention and reverence.
Deeply influenced by Indigenous, primitive, and ancient spiritual art forms, her paintings echo the presence of sacred landscapes and iconic forms. Many of her pieces resemble landscapes within landscapes-a layering of place, memory, and parallel experience. They serve as spiritual icons-visual anchors that call the viewer inward.
Her work invites stillness, reflection, and recognition. Through pattern, balance, and mysterious parallels, she reveals that we are always connected-if we’re willing to look deeply enough.