Meet Kelly Liddell, Chloe Pink's™ New Artist Representative

If you have dreams (as me and Chloe Pink) do, you know that support is like a gem. It's genuine. It's rare. And it must be treasured, valued and never taken for granted. Which is why I'm still pinching myself because Kelly Liddell has offered to be Chloe Pink's new Artist Representative.

Kelly's "had CP's back" on numerous occasions and now, with this blog post, it's official. Just a few weeks ago, she inked CP's first signature retail opportunity at tres chic children's boutique, The Purple Ladybug. (Details to come.) She's also been supportive to CP through social media and served as Snellville and Grayson's town art mom-- chauffering numerous young artists to a class I teach, "All Mixed Up Art Class for Kids" at Snellville Framing & Fine Art. Just how she gets every child and their freshly painted masterpieces home week after week without a Jackson Pollack all over the back of her SUV is just another one of Kelly's feats.

In fact, Jackson is her son's name and how I met Kelly. Her kids, Abby and Jackson are regulars at "All Mixed Up." Brave Jackson is often outnumbered by 6,7 or 8 girls -- each one just as headstrong as Chloe Pink wants them to be. They are curious. They are creative. They follow their dreams. And they believe in themselves! Hurray girls! His younger sister, Abby, is the quintessential Chloe Pink. (By the way, that's Abby with her mom in the picture.) But more on Abby later. This post is a shout-out to her mom.

Aside from the fact that Kelly takes pride and joy in raising her children, she has an impressive professional background as well. Kelly's been an account exec for Brighton (handbags) and Russell Stover (yeah, the chocolate company!) With her experience, it's no wonder her biz etiquette is creme de la creme and she has so many great ideas.

Kelly also has a strong appreciation and ties to the arts. At the New World School Montessori (headed by Susan Gabbard) in Oklahoma City, there were only 8 students in her 8th grade graduating class, but the whole building was dedicated to art according to Kelly.

What's more. Abby and Jackson's Mom learned to appreciate art through her own mom, too. Kelly's mother was an annual volunteer at the Festival of the Arts. Her mom's friend, Donna Berryhill was a famous artist in Oklahoma who died of cancer in 97. An art collector of sorts, Kelly's mom has several of her pieces. Kelly's good friend (and bridesmaid) Krista (Straka) Costilow's mom, Gloria Straka was also a close friend of Donna Berryhill.

Kelly, herself is an artist, also. "I only took one art class from Mr. McConnell in high school and had to pull an all-nighter to finish it." The charcoal drawing of her grandpa's fiddle is now in her closet at home after proudly hanging in her grandmother's house for years until she died. (Why is that? Get it out of the closet, Kelly!!!!) She has two good "art" friends as well: Laura who does art restoration and now teaches at a Montessori school in Tulsa; and Tracey, a college roommate at The University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK, who "was always painting something or going to a pottery class," is now doing PR work in Oklahoma.

As for now, Kelly is a mom encouraging her kids to do art because it's a great release and self expression. "A person can work through a life problem or at least gain a bit of perspective by creating….whether in art, writing, music or dance. The more opportunities my children have to use art for learning, for creative expression and for joy…the more they are allowed to “soak up” the beauty of life."

And on that note, Chloe Pink and I say, "Thanks Kelly for helping us out with your experience and talent. You're a gem."