Kelly began working when he was eight years old by carrying eight-pound lard buckets filled with mortar for his father, George Kelly, and his uncles, Robert and John Kelly. Kelly said that plaster is not only more versatile but also stronger than wallboard. At a minimum, a plaster wall is one-inch thick. Where some artists use oils and clay, Kelly uses plaster and cement. The statue of Saint Ignatius Loyola Craftspeople often sign their work.
Plasterers often pick a corner or a rafter on which to write their initials when they are working.
Indiana University, March 14, 1999.