Blog post #4

SunRay Kelley is a transcendentalist if I ever saw one. After being kicked out of his elaborate Sky house by his ex-wife, Kelley devoted his life to being an all natural-materials builder.  His connection with nature delves deeply into the spiritual so deep, in fact, that it's almost to a point of insanity.  From his building materials, to his enormous garden, to the over 200 apple trees he owns, Kelley's world revolves around nature, and vice versa. Each and every house and hut that he has designed and built, including his own, consists only of materials from nature.  By using twigs, trees, rocks and mud, Kelley has successfully created 50 some complete structures throughout the continent.  Although praised by many, he always looks forward to returning to his 9 acre secluded homestead that consists of over 7 houses, 10 ponds, a hermit hut, and a 17 foot tall maple wood Jesus.  Each and every piece of his beloved home was built by him, using only handcrafted and all natural materials.

To say Sunray Kelley is an individualist would be an enormous understatement.  How many hut building, hermit looking, barefoot and bearded old men do you know? (My guess would be none)  His life works are different from any other and so are his values.  Kelley claims that he "listens to nature", not only when taking items to build with, but also when replanting in his garden at home.  Many things make him different from others, especially his resistance of conformity. Although divorced for some time know, Kelley's own ex-wife claimed that living with him was always "an adventure and a tribulation."

I would consider Kelley a successful man by many means but this does not matter to him.  He is happy as a clam in his garden, chatting with guests, or designing a new house.  Typically I would associate being rich with the upper class famous and stuffy, yet neither of these names could characterize Kelley. He is simple in many ways, yet complicated in others.  His life can be seen as simple in the way he lives, dresses and acts but complicated because of the things he doesn't do, things such as conformity.  If you asked him why, Kelley would have an answer. Kelley practices what he calls evolutionary architecture.  Basically this means that he doesn't stick to the plan when building new structures.  Although he uses evolutionary architecture to describe the way he builds, I find that it also describes everything else about him. Kelley didn't just veer from the path that society paved, he completely altered its course (changed the plan) and made a life of his own. 

Sky House:

SunRay Kelley= Hottie

A few of his MANY works: