Every Piece Has a Story: Kelly Dunnington on paper, pattern, and process

cgoucher
6 days ago
6 min read

Kelly’s work is full of movement, colour, and small moments of surprise. Working with hand-painted, printed, and upcycled paper, she builds layered paper paintings that feel joyful from afar and richly detailed up close. In this conversation, Kelly shares how collage became her medium, how learning and teaching shape her creative rhythm, and why making art has become one of the most grounding and energizing parts of her life.

Your collage work has such energy and movement. What first drew you to this medium, and what do you love most about working with paper?
My love of working with paper began in my twenties, experimenting with decoupage and transforming everyday objects into funky, one-of-a-kind pieces using graphic wrapping paper. Then about ten years ago I discovered the work of Elizabeth Ste. Hilaire. Her collage technique — using hand-painted and upcycled papers to create funky paintings — opened a new door for me and inspired me to do what I do today. Today, I create what are called paper paintings. I start with a simple acrylic painting on a wooden panel, then build layers of colour and texture using small pieces of paper that I’ve painted, printed, and texturized myself. Much of my process involves gelli-printing, with stencils, and other techniques to make patterned paper. I love the unpredictability of it — each print that peels off of the plate is a surprise. This technique allows me to be creative in a very tactile, satisfying way. I don’t have to be perfect, which takes the pressure off and lets me have fun with it.

Rice paper is my favourite medium — it absorbs paint beautifully, tears with ease, and adheres well to wood. I also use upcycled paper that has music, maps, unique fonts and text that I hunt for in thrift stores and other places. The hunt for unique prints and patterns is part of the fun.

I love that every small piece of paper that I use in my paintings is unique. From afar, my painting looks like a cohesive image but if you look closely there is diversity in each tiny piece.
You mentioned studying art in the States. What was that experience like, and what did it open up for you creatively?
In 2015, while on sabbatical from teaching, I stumbled upon a three-day intensive workshop in Syracuse, New York, taught by Elizabeth Ste. Hilaire — the artist whose vibrant collage work attracted me and whose print I purchased at a home decor shop in Collingwood. My mom and sister, both artists too, joined me on my creative road trip.

Elizabeth is an incredible teacher, and that workshop got me hooked on paper painting. I look was completely swept up in the process — I was so excited about the workshop that I couldn’t sleep so I’d go into the studio early to start making papers before anyone else arrived, and I’d stay late making art on my own. I had discovered a new happy place, and a passion for making that I didn’t really know I had.

Since then, I’ve taken other art classes and week-long workshops at Haliburton School of the Arts, exploring different techniques and styles. No matter what I try creatively, I always find myself coming back to paper painting. I love that it involved multiple stages, which keeps it interesting.
You held your first show in spring 2023 at Branches Yoga Studio, and now you have Paper Tales at the Registry Theatre Gallery in spring 2026. How does it feel to be sharing your work in public spaces and connecting with people through your art?
Putting my artwork out into the public for the first time was both very exciting and nerve-wracking. There was definitely some self-doubt — wondering if people would appreciate and like my work, or think that there was no way I belonged in the creative world. But I was fortunate to receive a good amount of positive feedback that was encouraging and validating.

Many people have described my art as “happy and bright,” and have remarked on how it stands out as something unique and uplifting. Hearing that has meant a great deal to me. I’ve always been a glass-half-full kind of person, drawn to vibrant colours and positive energy, so knowing that this spirit comes through in my work is incredibly affirming.

I’m honoured to be exhibiting at the Registry Theatre Gallery in 2026 — it feels both exciting and humbling. It’s a wonderful opportunity to display my work to a wider audience and with any luck they will feel some aspect of the joy looking at it as I have experienced making it.
As someone who works in education and art, how do you hold space for your own creative practice while supporting students and the school community.
My art-making time tends to be pretty sporadic. Being a PHE teacher (Physical and health education) and a track and cross country coach takes a lot of energy, so while I’d love to make art every day, that’s just not my reality right now. That said, now that I’m an empty nester, I’ve been able to spend more time on weekends and some weeknights to get creative. I also really look forward to the summer holidays, Christmas break, and March break — they allow me to dedicate days to art- making.

Once I get started, I find it hard to stop. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how focused I become when I’m creating. Since I began doing art ten years ago, I’ve realized that I’d honestly rather be making art than doing almost anything else. It’s become a passion of mine that I am very motivated to pursue.

I’m excited about retiring in February and hoping that will open up even more time to dedicate to making art — and to learning the ins and outs of selling it too.
Has a piece or process ever surprised you, showing you something you didn’t expect about your art or yourself?
In 2023, I created a piece called Birch and Beyond on a 12" x 24" panel — the largest painting I’d made up to that point. My goal was to make something big and bold, partly to use up the stash of painted papers I’d been collecting and working with for years. I worked intensely on it for a few days during the summer, and then it sat on my easel for months. I’d pass by, take a look, and tweak little details whenever something caught my eye. The result was a somewhat abstract landscape that was very vibrant and colourful.

In early 2024, I came across a call for submissions to Paint Ontario, a juried exhibition in Grand Bend. I’d visited the show a couple of years earlier and had never entered a juried show myself — but I figured that I should just give it a try. I finally finished up Birch and Beyond and submitted it, along with a smaller square-foot painting called A Pair of Pears.

To my surprise, both pieces were accepted — and they both sold! Even more exciting, Birch and Beyond won a Sponsor Choice Award. That moment was incredibly validating. For the first time, I truly felt like a real artist. As much as I genuinely love creating art for the joy of it, there’s something incredibly rewarding about knowing that someone connects with a piece enough to invest in it. Selling my work — and realizing that it resonates with others — feels really good. It’s one thing to make art for yourself, but having someone else want to bring it into their own space brings a new confidence.
What keeps you coming back to making, even on days when inspiration feels out of reach?
Just like consistent training improves athletic performance, I know that regular practice is key to growing as an artist. Since art is still a relatively new pursuit for me, I feel like there’s much to learn — and I’m eager to do it because I truly love it. My hope is to make art a central part of my life after I retire from teaching.

One of the things I really enjoy about my creative process is its variety. If I’m not in the mood to start a new painting, I can do some geli-printing or work on painting upcycled papers. Going into my studio, turning on my music, and getting into the flow of making art brings me joy, and the bright colours that I use in my art also evokes positivity and happiness. It has become one of the ways I reset and ground myself as it both energizes and calms me.

Bonus Question: If time and materials were unlimited, what would you love to try making, something wild, big, or completely new?

I would like to make something big. My work is very detailed and meticulous so making a big painting is very daunting, but I would love to do a bold, big and bright landscape with mountain peaks in the background and a vibrant foreground. I have purchased the canvas, now I am just waiting for the time to get started!

What I loved about this conversation is Kelly Dunnington’s permission-giving honesty. Her work reminds us that creativity does not have to arrive fully formed or early to be meaningful. It can grow slowly, through play, repetition, and a willingness to try. There is something quietly powerful about choosing joy as a creative compass.

This series grows through word of mouth and the creative people who nudge me toward the next conversation. If someone comes to mind whose creativity inspires you, send them my way.

Until next week, Christine