As a child growing up in France, Renee Keady traveled throughout Europe with her family visiting just about every museum, chateau and landscape imaginable.  Constantly being bombarded with art and culture she had no idea the impact it would have on her life in the years to follow.  At the age of 9 her family moved to Virginia when her father received his orders to report to work at the Pentagon.  Her parents gathered books and travel guides to peak her curiosity and make the transition an easier one.  When she saw that Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas provided many cultural outlets for her to pursue she practically had her bags packed.  She was fascinated by the National Gallery of Art and it was there that she fell in love with Renoir’s “Girl with Watering Can.” The colors spoke to her in a way that no other painting had, the blues were brilliant, the reds glistened and the lush green landscape inspired her to start thinking like an artist.  It was her early exposure to the arts that left her with the inspiration and passion to become an award winning artist. 

Renee went on to college and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.  She found that it was getting very expensive to frame all of her artwork so she went to work as a framer in an Art Gallery.  She found ways to save the scraps and salvage old frames to bestow upon her original creations which meant she had more money to buy art supplies!  In 1980 she moved to California and has been there ever since.  Getting married and raising a family became her passions and she found other outlets to express her creative energy.

Renee looks forward to unleashing her creative spirit when she has an opportunity to work on a Community Art Project during the city of Mission Viejo’s community events.  Whether it be painting huge banners or creating a beautiful piece of artwork to hang proudly in one of the buildings in the city, she looks forward to igniting the creative spark in those joining her.  Her artwork is showcased in City Hall, the Library, La Paws Dog Park and the Norman P. Murray Senior and Community Center as part of their permanent collection.  Being an art teacher allows her to enjoy the interaction with the public on an artistic level.  She believes that creative expression is a way of connecting with others. To Renee, that is what community is all about, bring together a rich tapestry of individuals to create something beautiful to be shared whether it be a memory or a piece of art. 

She has been showcased as a Featured Artist for the multi-instrumentalist virtuoso and dynamic vocalist Ellis Hall at his performance during a live radio show at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center.  Inspired by his music, she created a piece of art to be hung as part of the permanent collection. 

Inspired by the art of the Masters, Renee Keady created a gallery of artwork for the outdoor Parkway Gallery in Mission Viejo.   These large pieces of art adorned the main streets in the city.  Using the grid method, she was able to transform the small paintings by enlarging them to fit the six foot pilasters they hang on.  She has recreated the process so that the viewer can get a glimpse of what it entails to produce a large scale piece of art or a Street Painting.

Renee Keady is not new to this concept as her love for Street Painting enables her to use the grid method for her Award Winning masterpieces and educate the community on the process of creating spectacular large chalk murals.  At theArts Alive Festival in Mission Viejo, Renee wanted to show the audience the steps involved in creating a large piece of artwork from start to finish. She showed this detailed method by creating a 20'x6' street painting mural.  She uses the performance art of Street Painting as a way to educate the public about the process and connect with the community.  

Her favorite thing to tell people is that "although the street painting artwork is temporary, the impression it leaves lasts a lifetime."