Keely Smith

Raised in the Texas Hill Country on the 120 year old Hillingdon Ranch, Keely Smith has earned a deep appreciation for the beauty of the landscape and all things old. She spent many hours as a child working animals and riding horseback, soaking up all that she saw. The desire to express what she absorbed was there from an early age, but making a living intervened.

Keely received a bachelor of arts in Psychology with a concentration in Fine Art from San Angelo State University in 1993. After graduation, Keely began a career in decorative painting. In 1996 she returned to the Hill Country and settled in Fredericksburg, where she decided to take a risk with the arts and started Jacob Lynn Studios, a successful decorative painting company with her husband. They have been painting top quality murals, faux finishes and ornamentation for nearly 10 years. During this period Keely went to Rhode Island and studied under 2 muralist and master decorative painters, Harley Bartlet and Terry Brackenberry. The urge to be a fine artist was always there. After meeting renouned artist Nancy Bush, the dream became a possibility. Nancy saw Keely's mural at the Reserve community prestigious Parade of Homes. She immediatley commissioned Keely to do decorative painting in her home. Realizing her untapped talent, Nancy encouraged her to begin studying at the Fredericksburg Artist School.

Keely studied with the published and award winning Greg Kruetz, and also received a scholarship to study under the nationally known Jeff Legg. It was here that she realized her dream of making the move from the decorative arts to fine art.

In 2007 she entered her first competition at Gillespie Counties annual juried art show and received an award for the still life "Squash and Pottery." Keely has been invited to show her work in several tour of homes and is currently exhibiting at Jackson's Uptown Market. The Gasmire's, owners of the Flying G Ranch, where the 2007 Harvest of Hope hospital gala was recently held, purchased two of Keely's paintings. Keely's first show, a solo show at Lincoln St. Wine Market in Fredericksburg Texas, was extremely well recieved with a packed house. At the close of her show, Keely had sold 14 of the 27 paintings on display, a truely remarkable feat.

Keely's painting's have been described as "Hill Country with an old world feel" by artist and writer Anne Stewart. Her eye for color and creating a mood is distinctive. Expect to see great things from this emerging young artist.

Keely currently resides in Fredericksburg, Texas with her husband Gene and darling daughter Abbey.