Shelly Pinto is a mixed media artist from Kansas City. She finds the process of layering color, mixing patterns, and cutting shapes reveals an inner calm and a connection to the world. Shelly earned her BFA in painting from the KCAI. Patterns, colors, and shapes provide links to my history, my environment, and my inner thoughts. I begin my mixed media paintings by mixing colors, cutting shapes, and overlapping patterns. The process of layering and mixing reveals an inner calm and also a connection to the world. I find that patterns and repetition represent a historical structure and insight into life’s interlocking balance. I often see my artwork as a colorful kaleidoscope that I adored as a child.