Lee Kelly was born in 1932 in McCall, Idaho, grandson of a ranching family located near Riggins. He attended Vanport University and the Portland Art Museum School, now known as Pacific Northwest College of Art.

In 1979, Lee first visited Nepal with his wife, artist Bonnie Bronson. This led to further travels to Asia, Mexico, and Central America during which he explored the art and architecture of these cultures. In 1985, he was awarded an Oregon Arts Commission grant to study the traditional bronze casting methods of the Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley, in Nepal. His collaboration with local Nepali artists lasted several years, and coincided with his interest in high-altitu...