About
Whether exploring the wild West or venturing out closer to home, Kelly Mieszkalski has gained a reputation for producing fine art that leaves an indelible impact on viewers. As both a wildlife photographer and a longtime devotee to the botanical tradition of pressed-flower art, it’s been said that Mieszkalski’s array of mixed-media imagery reads like fine art paintings.
“Nature inspires and heals me, wherever I find it—when I choose to be present with it,” she says. “When I take the time to stop and observe something like a dragonfly that just landed on the corner of my picnic table, I instantly become awed by its beauty. I see the patterns in its wings not only as works of art themselves, but as fodder for other art creations.”
For Mieszkalski, her signed photographic prints and one-of-a-kind flower compositions are intended to inspire viewers to connect with nature.
Be it dramatic realistic portrayals of grizzlies in Yellowstone or western Canada, otters and owls quietly hunting the areas surrounding the Eno River near her home in Durham, North Carolina, or the mesmerizing abstracted botanicals she assembles in intricate patterns using flower petals for her palette, it is the beauty of nature, she says, that draws her in.
An avid birder and amateur lepidopterist (a person fascinated with identifying butterflies), Mieszkalski says her experiences tracking those beautiful fliers in the East helped deepen her respect for smaller creatures. With her photography, she’s been applying that fine-tuned observational focus to convey the nuances and mystery of the West’s charismatic large animals and its awe-inspiring landscapes.
In recent years she has received tutelage from renowned wildlife photographers John Marriott and Tin Man Lee and has embarked on photo excursions in search of grizzlies and spirit bears inhabiting the coast of British Columbia, successfully gleaning images of elusive lynx in the Yukon, and putting herself in a position to spy gray wolves, free-ranging bison, moose and inspiring vistas of the US and Canadian Rockies.
“Each of us has a yearning to connect with nature. For me, photography serves as an opportunity to share wildness with those who may never see it in person. Having exposure to wildlife and nature changes the way we relate to the world,” she says. “I hope that my photography and art provide you with a bit of joy and a way for you to connect with nature in your own space.”
Photo by Jeff Pippen
Kelly grew up in central New Jersey during a time when kids spent their free time exploring the local woods, climbing trees, playing “kick the can” and searching for small wild critters. Now a long-time North Carolina resident, she graduated from Duke University in Durham where she studied art. Her love of flowers, she says, was strongly influenced by her grandmother, who introduced her to the beauty and wonder of hydrangeas and their magical changeable colors. Mieszkalski has been growing and pressing flowers and using them in her art designs for over 25 years. Regarding the kaleidoscopic vibrancy of those works, she has developed a framing process which includes UV-resistant conservation glass and an air-tight seal to maximize color retention.
Kelly’s work has been published in The Concern and Yellowstonian. Kelly’s “Graceful Great Blue” was selected as the Nature of Orange’s 2023 Photography Contest winner. Her pressed botanical art has been featured at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the nation’s largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event. Her work has also been exhibited at the Durham Art Guild, Golden Belt Arts, and Duke University.
In her free time, Kelly is a devoted wildlife conservationist. She hopes that her images inspire you to take action to protect wild ones and the beautiful outdoor spaces they call home.
Kelly invites you to explore her collectible photography and botanical art —and to keep coming back.
