About the Artist
Kelly Ryner

When the world went quiet in 2020, my husband and I embraced the opportunity to slow down for what we thought was going to be six months. Stepping away from the location-based entertainment design studio we were running in Beijing, we began to reassess what’s important to us and decided it was time for a new path.

Simply by chance, we found a picturesque little farm in the small town of Cobargo NSW. We had never spent time on the Sapphire Coast of Australia before and now every day we wonder how we could be so lucky to have found this little gem. Our farm shares a property line with 100 acres of conservation land so we have a wide variety of wild birds and animals happy to call our property their home as well.

My empathy and love for animals has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. I’ve been afforded the opportunity to travel the world since the age of five and I have never taken it for granted. Though born in California, much of my childhood was spent appreciating unusual wildlife while traveling through the Andes Mountains of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Barbados. To this day, I reminisce about our time spent in the Galapagos Islands in the mid-1970s. Adding to my adventures of a lifetime, for my 50th birthday, Paul and I spent two weeks in Kenya soaking in the beauty of the people, the flora, and the fauna. Being on Safari in Africa was akin to a dream-state, witnessing so many beautiful animals going about their lives, looking after their partners and their young while at the same time meeting the wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to protect them. It was nothing short of inspirational.

Drawing and painting as a kid came second nature to me and when I found out in grade ten that my painting talent could be leveraged into a career in Theatre and Film, that became my focus when I went to University at Virginia Tech majoring in Theater and minoring in Art. Not long after graduation in the late 1980s, I started leading paint teams for television and theme parks, working over the years for Disney, Nickelodeon, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros.

In 2001, I was presented with the opportunity to develop the business side of my brain by joining Thinkwell Group to head up Business Development when it was a fledgling start-up company. From a team of four in a tiny office above the Pasadena Playhouse to a team of more than 200 in offices and studios in five countries Thinkwell became a global leader in the design and production of location-based experiences during my 19 years at the firm. For my last six years with the company I was President of Thinkwell Asia, living in Beijing China.

Now in a place that moves a bit slower, I’ve taken the time to rediscover my love of wildlife and watercolors. Realizing my artistic talent could be used to raise money and awareness for wildlife conservation was an exciting “aha moment”. I couldn’t be more thrilled about this next chapter of my life.

Thank you for your interest in my journey. Please help protect our wildlife around the world.