about neely

Hi, I'm Neely! I'm a recovering perfectionist, and as such, avoided art for a very long time because I was afraid that I couldn't do it "right." Then, in my late twenties, I was introduced to watercolor and invited to simply play with it without worrying too much about the results. Through this exploration, I discovered that art can be a healing space where I can put down my perfectionism and just be. I created the term "hydrochromancy" to describe what it feels like for me to create as an abstract watercolor artist - because sometimes, it truly feels like magic, to watch how my paints combine and interact in ways both anticipated and unexpected. I hope the result invites the same calm and happiness to my viewer as I feel when creating my works. In addition to watercolor, I often utilize kosher salt, acrylic paint, gouche, and ink in my work to create contrasting textures. 

I create my art on occupied Dakota land in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I live with my husband and our two elderly cats. When I'm not painting, I enjoy reading sci-fi, watching Korean soap operas, and chaos-gardening.