As an only child, Kelly Leiker painted rocks to keep busy on family camping trips. “My parents didn’t entertain me, so I was challenged to use my imagination,” she chuckles. Born and raised in Imperial Beach, she has seen a big shift in the city which is now more touristy with more traffic. She remembers biking to school and still rides the same beach cruiser she has had since she was 16. “Art has been my passion, but I was told there was no money or jobs in it, so I pursued my other dream and earned my teaching credential and a master’s degree in cross cultural education,” she says.
After her part-time job as an art teacher was eliminated, and she had her second child, she wanted to create something that would work with her life. Just four months ago, Little Ant Art was born. “I decided to start a mobile art studio and chose the name because I pictured little ants carrying stuff from one place to another,” laughs Kelly. It began with children’s classes, but quickly grew to include adults and families.
I am personally not a painter and prefer to create with words, but I saw Kelly’s class mentioned on a local social media post and asked my friend Carolyn to join me. Kelly does weekly painting classes on the outdoor patio at Pizzeria Luigi, 717 Seacoast Drive, down the Strand in Imperial Beach. Carolyn and I were both way out of our comfort zone, but we loved how Kelly made the class fun and stress free, and we actually came away with paintings we can hang in our homes. 
With only one other student that evening, we got superb personal attention. Our $40 class fee included art supplies along with two pieces of delicious pizza and a drink. This is definitely a “strand worthy” event to check out. Kelly offers a variety of painting designs, based on things she likes or ideas she hopes others will gravitate towards, including Frida Kahlo, mermaids, campers, bikes, VW buses, guitars, owls, and many more. She has a studio at The Cove, 600 Palm Ave, Suite 108, Imperial Beach where she holds classes, paint brunches, and private paint parties. She can also do special requests for parties at local restaurants or homes.
“I love it when people are surprised with what they are capable of creating. I’m proud to inspire people to create more art,” says Kelly. Painting wasn’t always her main focus as an artist; she likes to work with paper, collages, doodling. No matter what, she does some form of art every day. At first painting scared her, but now she can’t imagine life without it and feels she can relate to her students.
Her experience as a teacher helps her break down the steps and time all the paintings, so the projects get completed in the class time frame. When asked what artists inspire her, she said she loves all genres, but is particular to Frida Kahlo, Dr. Seuss, and Yayoi Kusami, a Japanese artist. She has a vision to work with school PTAs doing fundraising events, and possibly in retirement homes too.
Working in a variety of environments, Kelly has to be flexible and says she “can make anything work. My motto is: if you make a mistake, stop, let it dry, don’t keep painting over it. Be patient…just like in life, if you are patient, we can fix it.”
Check out Little Ant Art at www.littleantart.com and on Facebook to see where Kelly is teaching her next painting class. In addition to Luigi’s on Tuesday nights, she is usually at the Imperial Beach Farmers’ Market on Fridays, where she offers smaller size paintings for $25, and various other locations. She also hosts private home parties with the painting of your choice and can be reached by calling (619) 587-1676 or email at [email protected].
Instructed-painting events have been growing in popularity over the years and a couple regular options are available in Coronado as well.
- Wine and Paint Workshops at Emerald C Gallery, 1331 Orange Ave., every Wednesday and Saturday from 6 – 8 p.m. for $40. For more information and reservations, check out www.emeraldc.com or call (619) 996-3315.
- Painting by the Sea is also offered by the Emerald C Gallery on the Hotel del beach. Classes are $85 and paintings are Coronado-themed. Check out their schedule at https://hoteldel.com/activities/painting/ or call (619) 522-8100.
