Kelly started out his artistic life affectionately known as "Chainsaw Kelly" for his works with driftwood. After acquiring a solid, local reputation for his fine work and creativity, Kelly created a series of inlaid tables; many of these are still in use in several area restaurants. After a few years of woodworking, Kelly opened a local venue for his and other local artists' works; the locale wa named The Wood Gallery. It opend in 1979 on the bay front in Newport, Oregon. While much his time for the past two decades has been devoted to operating The Wood Gallery, he also managed to devote considerable energies to sculpting. Kelly has had a successful career with his marine life series--including several eight-foot humpback whales, smaller "study" pieces and a playful trio of life-size dolphins. About six years ago, Kelly put aside the marine influence and turned his attention to life-size human forms; first with a piece called "Sandcastle" which depicts a young sub-teen girl with her bucket and sand at the beach. Most recently, his "Aviator," depicting a young boy launching a P-51 fighter; this piece has drawn raves of approval. Kelly has also expanded on his long-time favorite hobby of photography and has returned from frequent trips to Alaska with memorable images which have been professionally framed for Gallery purposes. Most recently, Kelly has been manufacturing smll graphite drawing tools and large Basalt tables, stools and benches.