Kelli Drum was born in 1989 in North Carolina. Her passion for the arts started blooming during her childhood and has yet to cease. Her first masterpiece was created with crayons and a bedroom wall. Rather than being reprimanded, Kelli’s mother saw this as an opportunity to express her artistic side but with one condition; that bedroom wall was the only wall in the house to ever come in contact with crayons or any other drawing utensil.

She began experimenting with sharpies, pencils, paints, and anything else she could find to explore the limitations of various mediums and to further develop her talent. After entering and winning several fine art competitions in middle and high school, Kelli decided art was what she wanted to do for life. Proceeding her high school graduation, she began studying the arts. Kelli obtained a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Studio Art and an Associate of the Arts degree in Interior Design. Her favorite medium is paint but has produced a multitude of works in charcoal, sharpie, pencil, photography, clay, steel, glass, wax, sterling silver, and various mixed medias.

After landing a well paying job in marketing and event coordinating, Kelli began to let her art fall to the wayside. Her dream had always been to make it as an artist but with such a demanding career she could never find the time to devote to creating more art. She yearned to create and evoke emotions in others through what they'd see in her works but time would not allow.

In January of 2017, Kelli discovered she was pregnant. She and her boyfriend were ecstatic! This news was more than just exciting though. It was an answered prayer as Kelli had been told she'd never be able to bear children. This joy would soon turn to fear though. Due to a medical complication, she had to deliver her sweet baby 9 weeks early to save not only her child's life but her own as well. After Kelli made it through the surgery with only a little complication, she immediately began worrying about her baby. She was consumed with fear and anxiety of not knowing whether or not her miracle would make it. Fast forward through 45 days of ups and downs in the NICU; her son is healthy, happy, and at home.

Through this unfortunate circumstance, Kelli saw the silver lining. She saw that life is too precious to waste a talent and to be doing something she wasn't passionate about. This frightening experience has made her never take life granted and now paints every day. Painting has not only helped her overcome the postpartum depression she gained but it has allowed her to spend more time with her son and to provide for him by a means of passion.

After painting every day for weeks, she realized her home was just not big enough to keep all of her creations. She then decided to start K. Nicole Studios and share her works of passion with the world.