New Jersey Artist Is Transforming Finger-Friendly Art Into Collaborative Digital Creations

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LAMBERTVILLE, N.J. (CBS) - The old masters never looked so modern. A Delaware Valley artist is transforming her craft for the 21st century.

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No paper, pencils or brushes are necessary. All one needs is a computer and creativity. But the idea didn't start this way, it has evolved over a quarter of a century.

Fine art is Kelly Sullivan's craft. Some of the oil paintings in her Lambertville, New Jersey, studio have taken her years to complete. But it's her pieces created, sometimes in the matter of hours, that may be most impactful.

"I bought one big canvas and no brushes because I couldn't afford the brushes," Sullivan recalls. "And that was my first FingerSmear."

Born out of necessity, on a non-existent budget, Sullivan realized she could make a living as an artist by finger painting at corporate business events. She provides the sketch, attendees dip their fingers in paint and dab the canvas. What she calls a FingerSmear comes to life.

"The fact that it's collaborate is what makes it extra powerful," she says.

After nearly 25 years, Sullivan estimates her reach at 100,000 fingers.

"I've had some interesting people stick their fingers in paint for me over the years," she says. "All The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Carol Burnett."

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Charity work with FingerSmears has also taken Sullivan around the world.

But now, her work can travel easier and faster than ever before, as her art transforms from the physical to the digital.

Paint.team is the digital evolution of FingerSmears.

Working with a software engineer, Sullivan creates the template, and users color pieces of the larger project. Think of it as a digital coloring book.

And she says it's not only fun but good for the body and mind.

"It lowers your heart rate almost immediately," Sullivan says with a laugh. "Groups of people can create one piece of art from anywhere in the world where they have an internet connection. It's really kind of neat to see. Add a little something, and know that your small mark is part of the bigger picture. That's the beauty of it."

Log on to paint.team to work on a number of public projects.