Kelli Lien is a native of northwestern Minnesota. She spent the majority of her young adult years living and working in Fargo/Moorhead and in Minneapolis. She met her husband in Fargo when he was a student. His education, and subsequent career, led them to moving to Minneapolis, and then to Rapid City, SD. They remained there for 23 years and raised their family; two sons. They relocated back to northwestern Minnesota in 2015.
Kelli has always been an artist. She loved to draw as a child. Her love for painting began as a pre-adolescent. She loved art in high school and when she attended college. She learned to do batik, calligraphy, and began to experiment with collage. She always had a natural talent for anything artistic and the desire to create.
Her serious focus on art began in the mid 90's. A well known Rapid City watercolor artist advised her to begin by learning how to draw. While she studied and practiced drawing, she volunteered routinely at her son's elementary school and taught the students a version of what she was doing. She continued volunteering and teaching while she was learning how to paint in watercolor, and how to do fine arts collage.
She is primarily self-taught. She has taken classes from South Dakota artists
Joyce Johnson, Patricia Johnson, Sandra Newman, Bob Miller, Howard Olson, Alexis Wilson, and Richard DuBois. She has taken a selection of watercolor classes from Minnesota artists, including John Salminen. In 2020 she joined the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts and is currently taking a wide selection of classes taught by their teaching book artists.
Kelli became an award winning watercolor artist in 2008. Her awards include the Silver Medal by the Northern Plains Watercolor Society in 2012 and the Bronze in 2014. She is a signature member of the Red River Watercolor Society. She is published by the National Collage Society. Kelli also taught workshops and gave lessons to large and small groups, for adults and children, while she lived in Rapid City. The Region 2 Arts Council, in Minnesota, awarded her the Artist Fellowship Award for 2017-2018. Recent awards include a First Place Award in Transparent Watercolor at the Artists of Minnesota spring show in 2019.
Selected Shows & Awards
2019 First Place, Transparent Watercolor - Intermediate
Artists of Minnesota Spring Show - May 2019, Pier B Resort, Duluth, MN
2019 Fellowship Exhibit - Solo Show
February & March 2019, The Wild Hare, Bemidji, MN
2018 21st Annual Small Format Exhibit, National Collage Society
The Butler Institute of Ame
2018 25th Annual Juried Watermedia Exhibition
Red River Watercolor Society
2017 Artist Fellowship Award, 2017-2018
Region 2 Arts Council, Bemidji, MN
2017 25th Annual Juried Art Exhibition
MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids, MN
2014 Bronze Medal, Member's 18th Annual Exhibition
Northern Plains Watercolor Society, Rapid City, SD
2014 Golden Award, 21st Annual Juried Watermedia Exhibition
Red River Watercolor Society
2012 Silver Medal, Member's 17th Annual Exhibition
Northern Plains Watercolor Society, Rapid City, SD
2011 18th Annual Juried Watermedia Exhibition
Red River Watercolor Society
2008 Recognition Award, 15th Annual Juried Watermedia Exhibition
Red River Watercolor Society
2008 Merit Award, Member's 13th Annual Exhibition
Northern Plains Watercolor Society, Rapid City, SD
2008 Honorable Mention, Member's 13th Annual Exhibition
Northern Plains Watercolor Society, Rapid City, SD
Signature Membership
2014 Red River Watercolor Society
Other Memberships Include
2020 Artists of Minnesota
2020 Minnesota Center for the Book Arts
Publications
2019 National Collage Society - Annual Calendar
2018 National Collage Society - Annual Calendar