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Chapter: About the Author
Kelli Swan specializes in the beautiful and striking effect of graphite illustration. Her detailed pencil drawings depicting various themes have won many awards in prestigious juried art shows. In addition, her drawings have been published on magazine covers, special event program covers and in a variety of publications. Kelli’s original works reside in collections in Europe, The United Arab Emirates and The United States. Educated at the University of Akron in Ohio, she received her BFA with Summa Cum Laude honors.
Kelli draws her inspiration from a life-long love of animals and nature. Fascinated with drawing at an early age, she was already winning art competitions in Jr. High School. High School brought more awards, as well as a special devotion to her artwork. She participated in extra-curricular art classes and was receiving commissions by the age of 16!
From 1994 -2001 Kelli exhibited her artwork in numerous art shows and festivals from Michigan to Florida to Massachusetts. She also traveled abroad to exhibit her drawings in the prestigious Arab Horse Expo in Dubai. By 2001, Kelli began to combine her art marketing skills with her graphic design skills and dove into the e-commerce experience. She has created her own websites as well as sites for other artists and small businesses. Applying what she has learned through courses and seminars in e-commerce and website optimization, along with traditional marketing tactics, Kelli was enabled to boost her own online business and now helps others do the same.
Kelli’s interests include reading, hiking, swimming, meditation and peaceful times with friends. She owns and operates Cygnet Graphics Ltd, the company through which she publishes and sells her work. Her websites include www.pencilplace.com, www.kelliswan.com and www.cygnetgraphics.com (her graphic design services).