A young woman in a white dress with a red and blue graduation stole posing in front of the Algur H. Meadows School of the Arts sign, holding a blue graduation cap.

About Kaylie

I am a Dallas based artist, originally from San Diego, and painting has been central to my life for as long as I can remember. My work is rooted in a personal connection to the ocean, surfing, and the freedom they bring to my life. When my family moved to Nicaragua, my fascination with surfing began, and that experience continues to shape the way I see and interpret the world. Making art allows me to remain connected to that part of myself even when I am far from the water, while also serving as a point of connection to my dad through our shared love of the ocean and surf culture.

Working across mixed media, I combine watercolor, acrylic, charcoal, pastel, and paint markers through layering, experimentation, and repetition. I am especially interested in mark making and in the relationship between sketchbook practice and larger finished works. My process often begins with quick, instinctive drawings, pose studies, and compositional experiments, which I later translate into larger scale and different materials. I am drawn to the challenge of scaling up the energy of my sketchbook marks while preserving their immediacy, looseness, and emotional force. My practice is deeply process-based and rooted in routine.

Art is not only a way for me to make images, but also a way of reflecting on the world and processing my experiences through consistent making. Rather than focusing solely on a final product, I value the daily act of creating, experimenting, and returning to images over time. Through this practice, I explore how repetition, scale, and material can carry memory, movement, and personal meaning

A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a white blouse and dark blue jeans, standing and smiling in an art gallery in front of three framed paintings on a white wall.
A woman with long hair wearing a checkered top and jeans is standing in an art gallery, looking at a large colorful painting of a woman with long hair sitting in front of a mirror.
A young woman in a blue tank top and gray sweatpants is painting a mural on a white wall. The mural features a partly completed blue background with outlined figures of four people, with some color added to the background.
A young woman with long blonde hair smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers inside an art gallery. Behind her, there are colorful paintings of landscapes and abstract figures on white walls, illuminated by gallery lighting.