Characters from Shakespeare, Baroque  sculptures, and cartoons are use to tell personal stories, with a tragic sense of humor, in  Kelly's  sculptures. Symbols of youthful fantasies are entangled with metaphors for adult anxieties (i.e. fears of humiliation are represented by tar and feathers). The creatures take on the magical and monstrous qualities of who we become in relationships.

Sheer fabrics give the monsters a vulnerable side -- making them both threatening and pitiful. Seductive colors and sensual textures are juxtaposed with repulsive elements such as entrails. Kitsch components are incorporated in a sincere and visceral way.

All of Kelly's pieces are sewn by hand with an unrefined stitch.