Lawrence Kell was born and brought up in Cornwall, where his father Ray Kell and mother Joy lived and worked in the catering world. His father taught and practiced cookery and restaurant management at Camborne Technological College at Pool, Cornwall, and the couple went on to purchase and run the Gurnard's Head Hotel and Public House near Zennor in West Cornwall. Laurence began his career as a portrait painter in a back room at the pub, and used the walls of the bar as his exhibition space.

After a Foundation course in Art and design at Falmouth School of Art, he went on to Leeds University.

In 2002 he began exhibiting by entering the Annual Exhibition at the Manchester Academy of Fine Art, and the following year he was selected for the BP Portrait Award exhibition, as well as exhibiting in the Not the Turner Prize Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, where he was a Finalist. From 2005 he has shown regularly with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters to the present day.

In 2006, returning to live at home in Cornwall, he was given a show at the RainyDay Gallery in Penzance, and also exhibited in 'Mirror Image - Self portraits and portraits' at Artonomy in Truro.

Laurence, his wife, and child, now make their home in Bristol. He has had many commissions from both private individuals and public institutions, and approaches each project with great care, diligence, and enthusiastic commitment 'to describe the interests, loves and personality of the sitter.' His website gives further details.