Gary Kelley received his degree in art from the University of Northern Iowa. He began his career as a graphic designer and art director before becoming an illustrator in the mid-1970s. His awards have included 28 gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York, also Best-In-Show recognition in New York and Los Angeles Illustrators' Exhibitions. He was elected to the Society of Illustrators (NY) Hall of Fame in 2007. His client list has included The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Playboy, The Atlantic, Time, Newsweek, GQ, the Kentucky Derby, NFL, NBA, MLB, CBS Records, United States Postal Service, Santa Fe Opera, and many major publishers and advertising agencies. Gary has created a number of murals for Barnes and Noble bookstores across the country and a massive exterior mural for the Google Data Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He has also illustrated 30-plus picture books for publishers in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to his professional work, Gary has lectured widely, including the Smithsonian Institute, Society of Illustrators, Disney Animation, San Francisco Academy of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Ringling School of Art, and Syracuse University, to name just a few.