My passion as a painter comes from a life-long desire to create. Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, I was always out on the water, sailing or boating, all the while collecting shapes and colors to put in my pocket and bring home. I began painting in high school and continued to pursue art further down the coast at the College of Charleston. In 2013, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy at SACI, where I spent the semester focusing on finding my style. One of my professors, Lorenzo, expressed, “you do your best work when you just play.” This was really encouraging to me. Upon graduation, I was playing by painting in my off hours and trying to establish myself as an artist. In 2014, I officially started Blakely Made!
Currently, I live in downtown Charleston with my husband, Curtis, and my golden retriever, Posie. When I’m not in the studio, we are often found enjoying Hampton Park or out on the boat exploring the marsh. Inspired by the local waters and my travels, I love to behold my surroundings and then depict them in my own way on a canvas. I am always mesmerized with the way my paintings can speak to others without using words. Some paint on a canvas creates a shared experience between you, the viewer, and me, the artist. This connection brings me such joy and compels me to paint the way I see the world: full of color in unlikely places.