Blue Cross Painting

Kelly is a Los Angeles-based artist living with an anoxic brain injury. Her abstract artworks are a manifestation of how she now sees the world. The chaotic movements and abstract figures are scenes from her past that she can no longer depict clearly, but are instead beautiful representations of the world translated through her new favorite medium. In June, 2012 Kelly fell victim to cardiac arrest and no heartbeat for 45 mins. After a month in a coma, her doctors believed there was little hope for her to survive. In a nearly vegetative state upon waking up, it took almost a year of intensive daily therapy before she was able to learn how to walk, speak, and perform the most basic functions. Art Therapy led to Kelly recovering better than doctors had hoped, although she is still unable to read or write and has cortical visual impairment (CVI). This causes a decreased visual response due to a neurological problem affecting areas of the brain that process vision. She now spends most of her time painting since she discovered the discipline and it has given her a purpose in life again.