More small sketches

I've been working on some ideas for this vintage photo below of my Mom and sister Martha in Arizona at a place called Hole In The Rock around the 1940's.  So love how they dressed to go climbing on rocks!  Anyway the first sketch on the left is gouache using two colors, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna with white.  The gouache was a little disappointing but it's an inexpensive set bought for experimenting a few years ago.  The second sketch I tried for a more Art Pop look using bright acrylic colors.  Both are painted on Canva-Paper by Canson.  So two sketches and still searching as both are missing the mark.  There are interesting things about both that may be incorporated into a finished piece. ?  

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

The Watcher

Click Here To Buy It Now - $150 auction, 5x7 inches, acrylic on 1/8" museum gessobord

For me the most amazing thing about owls are their eyes.  Don't get me wrong there are lots of amazing things about owls but I'm intrigued by the eyes.  They are almost hypnotizing and I'm sure the little critters would rather not see them.  This is another painting on black gesso.

I've been trying smaller paint sketches before painting the final.  This little paint sketch of the The Watcher is on Canva-Paper by Canson with black gesso and measures 3x4 inches approximately.  I love working on this paper, there is hardly any warping.  I try to keep these sketches fast at around 20 minutes to avoid detail because detail will hang me up.  Then I look at the sketch while painting the final to remind me to keep it simple.  And I have these fun little sketches to sell or give away.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

One That Lasts

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, 5x7 inches, acrylic on 1/8" museum gessobord

This is the last peony I've painted for the spring season 2020.  I was going to name it The Last One but to put a positive spin on it the name changed to One That Lasts.  This is my favorite peony for 2020.  I had trouble finding a short glass vase, for some reason my short glass vase did a disappearing act.  How does that happen?  The stubborn part of me wouldn't give up until finally remembering my saved food jars under the sink, I found this short pickle relish jar which worked perfect after removing the label.  More info than you probably wanted to know, I just thought it would be fun to let you inside my imperfect world.

I did a gouache two color paint sketch (with white) and an acrylic paint sketch using bright colors yesterday.  I will post them soon.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright 

So many ideas, not enough time!

I have all these ideas for future paintings and I want to get started on all of them before I loose the excitement.  Small gouache paint sketches, compositions using old family photos (like the one below), owl eyes, mixed media and more.  But it's summer, theres the garden, food to fix, dishes to clean.  I'm not going to complain life is good, we are staying safe and healthy.  I'd just like to know how all these daily painters do it, a painting a day.  Maybe they have house cleaners, a cook or just an amazing amount of energy.  This is my muse for today, time to get started......

 
I used Photoshop to alter this photo and I'll try working this into a paint sketch with the gouache.  Getting excited!

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Peony In A Bottle

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, 5x7 inches, acrylic on museum gessobord

Goodbye peonies until next year.  I'm happy that a few from my garden made it to paint.  I have one more to post then sadly they are done.  I do however have some photos I took for those winter blues and the need for spring.  But summer is just beginning, the world is sunny and warm, yay!

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Gifts From The Garden

Click Here To Buy It Now - $175, 8x8 inches, Acrylic on museum gessobord

The peony season passes so quickly, the wind and rain can also play a factor.  I promise myself every year to give the peonies their day in paint.  They started blooming last week, huge and beautiful but I was in the middle of something else and growing anxious.  To set my mind at rest I decided to pick a bunch and if nothing else I would photograph them for reference later.  Good thing because the rain and wind hit.  This painting was actually painted after the photo session and while the flowers were still fresh.  The lingering scent in my studio reminds me of those gorgeous blooms, oh how I wish they lasted longer.  They truly are a gift!

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Stranded

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, 8x8 inches, acrylic on canvas panel

Maybe this is a reflection of being isolated at home, anyway this little boat appealed to me.  Another painting on a black gesso ground.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Bird Nest Tea

Click Here To Buy It Now $100 - 6x6 inches, acrylic on museum gessobord

I found a photo on Pixabay (copyright free photo site) of a bird nest in a tea cup and loved the idea, so having all the stuff I set up my own still life.  I added more twiggy stuff to the nest for interest.  The twiggy stuff is actually some old plant material under one of my Siberian iris which worked perfect (yay for not cleaning it up last fall).  The blue eggs are wooden so no worries that they were stolen from a robin nest.

Below are some photos of the actual still life I set up and then my working area.  For correct proportions I use a view catcher, the gray cardboard cutout is my own created version of a view catcher.  You see a little bit of the still life through the gray cardboard frame.  The photo just gives you an idea of how it works, the view from the seated position was much different.  Having a very small studio I like to work with a table top easel in order to give myself more table space.  My plein air easel gets used in the studio too.  Maybe I should have cleaned up my studio before taking the photo!

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright