It’s no coincidence that childhood and playfulness are consistent themes throughout the work of Kelsie Oreta (1988): she’s persistent in her pursuit of that which tried to elude her. Diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of four, she was learning how to read while waiting for blood tests and painting in temperas during hospital stays for chemo treatments.

A graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in communication and student of Sari Shryack, she uses acrylic, oil, and digital paint to create narratives of small, precious moments that make up everyday life--in technicolor.

Native to Texas, Kelsie has been a resident of Fairfield, Connecticut since 2015. In 2019, she created Fairfield Shares, an online gift economy that serves thousands of her neighbors. Her work in the group led her to be honored with a day declared in her name in The Town of Fairfield on August 11, 2022. Watching her children grow up in Fairfield has a profound influence in her art. She marvels at the magnificent beauty of mundane daily life: undisturbed natural areas nestled among manicured homes and small businesses; neighbors and families interacting with four seasons of stunning Americana as a backdrop. She references this imagery in her work with child-like playfulness and an impressionist-inspired style.

the Artist

Artist Statement

Humans have spent much of history exploring ways to control our surroundings, from cave painting to trimming the hedges, yet we rarely consider the ways our surroundings control us. A child of neglect, I had to learn how to adapt to different environments to make my way through my world: the streets of Houston, Texas. I learned different behaviors were appropriate in some spaces and not others. We are what we repeatedly do and what we do is determined by our surroundings.

Storytelling–be it the around-the-fire tales of our predecessors or the short form video content of today–focuses on actions made by a set of characters: the who and the what. Yet our memories are deeply rooted in place. Setting carries multitudes of meaning, histories that precede us, and life beyond our understanding.

My work aims to explore the interconnection between people and place and what we lose by turning more of our humanity over to a digital realm. I use styles rooted in the tradition of impressionists to harken back to a time when digit referenced the fingers in collaboration with the voiceless to create playful narrations of how we interact with our surroundings. My work asks: if these walls, trees, waves could talk, what would they say?