Petey
Petey turned his lifelong passion for cars into art after incarceration, using pencil to sketch with stunning detail. A devoted father of seven, he transforms pain into purpose, proving that even behind walls, resilience can give birth to beauty.
My Story
Theodore “Petey” Kelly was born and raised in Compton, California, where his love for automobiles began early. Fascinated by cars as a child, he pursued his dream of becoming a mechanic and made it a reality before his incarceration in 2003. But behind prison walls, his hands could no longer touch engines. In 2015, that passion reignited in a new way—through drawing. With pencil as his tool, Petey began sketching cars in stunning detail, from engines to tires, keeping alive the connection to the machines that had always inspired him.
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What started as encouragement for his son’s art project became Petey’s own path of transformation. As his drawings grew sharper, he realized art wasn’t just about automobiles—it was about life. His work began to transform him from within, and he saw how it could transform others too. Through his art, Petey learned to capture not only his passion but also the pain and struggles of those around him, translating resilience, suffering, and hope onto the page and canvas.
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Today, Petey is recognized not simply as an inmate but as an artist. “Through art, I found the validation I’ve been searching for all my life,” he says. His pencil has become the tool that gives voice to his humanity and worth.
Beyond his art, Petey is a devoted father of seven. His children are proud of the man he has become, and he cannot wait to return home to them—to love them fully and show them the power of turning pain into purpose.
Signature Quote: “Through art, I found the validation I’ve been searching for all my life.”