Artist Bio

Kenny Smith, known affectionately as @thekingslacker on social media, is an improvisational quilt artist based in the peaceful hills of Rutland, Vermont, where he lives and creates alongside his wife and creative partner, Kelley McCrory (@kelleyinvermont). Though now fully immersed in the world of fiber arts, Kenny spent decades working in the high-pressure field of Information Technology, a career that, while successful, left him yearning for deeper connection, creative release, and something more soulful.

Before quilting became central to his life, endurance running played a significant role in shaping his discipline and mindset. For more than a decade, Kenny competed in road races ranging from 5Ks to full marathons throughout New England and beyond. Marathoning provided structure, focus, and a solitary space to process life’s challenges. Over time, however, the physical demands and his growing desire to spend more time with Kelley signaled the natural close of that chapter.

In 2015, amid the stress and structure of his day job and as competitive running faded into the background, Kenny picked up quilting as a way to spend more intentional time with Kelley. What started as a shared hobby quickly evolved into a personal creative sanctuary, offering balance and grounding while he navigated the pressures of a demanding IT career. Quilting became more than fabric and thread. It became a form of stress relief, emotional release, and eventually, self-discovery.

For years, quilting ran parallel to his professional life, offering balance and meaning until he retired in December 2021 to fully embrace life as an artist. That transition was not about leaving something behind, but about stepping fully into something that had been growing quietly inside him for years.

Kenny’s first spark came through Joe Cunningham’s Rock the Block technique, which challenged the idea of quilts as rigid or overly planned. Discovering Sherri Lynn Wood and her improvisational philosophy further reinforced this shift, revealing quilting as a medium that could be expressive, emotional, and deeply personal.

Kenny’s approach to quilting is fearless and organic. He does not follow patterns. Instead, he embraces spontaneity, allowing each piece to unfold naturally, guided by instinct, curiosity, and emotion. His compositions are driven by bold, saturated color set against deep blacks, rich greys, and shadowed neutrals, a palette that reflects his belief in contrast and the power of light emerging from dark places.

Each quilt he creates is less about perfection and more about storytelling. His work moves through cycles of building, breaking down, reconstructing, and discovering the unexpected in what remains. Scraps are not just leftovers. They are moments, histories, and future possibilities, carrying the emotional honesty that defines his work.