Kelly Lingel was born and raised in southern California.  From an early age, she knew she loved color and wanted to be an artist.  She would spend hours alone painting and drawing.  Kelly was fortunate to be exposed to great artwork from a young age.  Her mother encouraged her creativity and she and her godmother would take her to art museums and galleries throughout the United States and Europe.  As a child, she studied art at the Asian Pacific Art Museum in Pasadena.