Summer Song

 

5x7 inches, Mixed Media on watercolor paper

This has been a summer of new landscaping, interior remodeling with a bit of health issues mixed in.  With all of that going on it's been hard to find time to create.  I've been playing with more mixed media to keep inspired.  This one was put away for awhile because I wasn't sure where it was going, it needed connection to pull it together.  I found a napkin with these big spots, moved it around and realized it was the missing piece.  Then the name just came, the painting said this is a song of summer because summer is busy, loud, noisy, swirling with constant movement, joyful and almost chaotic.  Summer wakes up with a scream, it sings and makes the most of having the little time to be loose and free, at least in the midwest when nature sleeps so long.  I hope you are having a joyful chaotic summer!

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Opposite Attraction

 

 

Click Here For More Info:  $125, 5x7 inches, Acrylic on 1/8" Ampersand Gessobord

I'm really loving the pastels, usually my paintings are all about bright color, this is a nice change.  Most artists would understand the title but for those with little art background it has to do with the color wheel.  Pink and green (light green) are complimentary colors, they are opposite each other on the color wheel, they compliment each other.  If you have another meaning for the title let me know I'd love to hear.  One thing great about art work is it's a personal experience for the artist and the viewer.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

 

Please Pass The Tomatoes

 

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

Another painting from almost a month ago when I was enjoying the first tomato harvests and going through Internet nightmare.  I had a hard time with the title for this one as the three tomatoes look like they are witnesses to the one tomato on the plate chopping block, "The Witnesses" was all I could think of.  I hope this doesn't ruin the enjoyment of the painting for you that's why another title was needed.  So to put a positive spin on the painting I focused on the pleasure of meal time.

In case you haven't read some of my other blog posts, we lost our internet for a whole month.  I can't tell you how many hours I spent on the phone to our old service (that canceled us due to leaving our area) and the new service we were signing up with.  And I'm still working to get my printer working.  I spent another hour on the phone yesterday trying to solve that problem which turns out to be the new router.  Then I downloaded the new working system on my computer and I can't open my Photoshop Elements any more, which probably means the old app isn't supported by the new system.  Arrrrgh!  The story is endless.  Do you have to be a computer technician now-a-days?  So frustrating, I just want to spend time creating, life is short.  

Stay safe!  Sorry for complaining, maybe I just needed to vent.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Bright Spot

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

Sometimes it's the simple joys than can cheer you up or maybe brighten a dark mood.  Yum Cherries one of summers simple joys and they are great to paint and eat.  This is another painting on black gesso, it just makes red pop.

This is a little paint sketch, 3x5 inches, on Canva paper I practiced on before doing the larger painting.  It really helped with color on the glass bowl.  Now I'm not sure which one I like better.

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 

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

Beached

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

The colors in this reference photo drew me in and I love color.  This is another painting on a black gesso ground.

Deborah A. Kirkeeide copyright

Fishy Business

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

This is my fourth painting on black gesso, still inspired and still loving it.  The photo reference is from Pixabay where you can find royalty free photos.  I changed the background from black to this color version with the help of ideas from Photoshop.  So many great things out there to help visual artists.  And where would I be without my iPhone camera?

I hope you are all staying safe, be well.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Under A Lace Umbrella

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

This painting idea all started because of a fun lacy umbrella I found at a flea market in California.  My grand daughter who visited this past summer was the model and who did not want to pose for me especially not dressed up, she is 15, posing is definitely not on her "cool" radar.  However I promised a modeling fee and worked fast trying to catch a pose.  Having lots of lacy blouses was not a problem but I had to be imaginative for the skirt, grabbing a lace table cloth and wrapping it around her jeans.  She also was prone to slouching which didn't work with the pose and I had to remind her to sit up; in past times it was not considered lady like to slouch, maybe corsets had a little to do with it (slouch and you can't breath).  Anyway I can't imagine life without jeans!  And corsets, pure torture but didn't the women look good?  

Due to the limitations and inconsistencies of various display monitors, the colors you see on your screen may not be a totally accurate reproduction of the actual painting but I work to get the best likeness possible.

(C) Deborah A. Kirkeeide

Barnyard Goat

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

It's been another long time since I posted, summer has been crazy busy with trips and grandkids but a great summer!  I was visiting my daughter in California in the spring when I snapped this photo of the goat.  I knew there were goats at this home outside her neighborhood from previous trips so I made a point to go back and see if I could get photos.  To my surprise there was a whole family of goats and this white one who seemed so friendly.  He/she tried to come close but unfortunately there is a big gully full of brush and stuff between the walking path and the fenced in barnyard.  I had to telescope in with my camera to get any photos.  This painting is from a photo where the white goat saw me checking him and the others out and he/she is checking me out, probably was hoping I might be a means of getting a carrot or apple.  Whenever I've been around goats it always seems like the white goat is the most friendly and the leader of the pact.  I wonder if thats my imagination. ?

Due to the limitations and inconsistencies of various display monitors, the colors you see on your screen may not be a totally accurate reproduction of the actual painting but I work to get the best likeness possible.

(C) Deborah A. Kirkeeide

Beach Birthday

Not For Sale - 5x7 inches, oil on gessobord

I have a niece who takes wonderful photos, this painting is of her little girl she photographed on the beach for her birthday.  The blue tutu is priceless and the birthday hat tells the story.  I loved the photo so she gave me permission to paint it.  

Violas

Click Here To Buy It Now - $75, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I love my Violas, I've heard them called Johnny Jump Ups also.  They come up everywhere in my gardens and most the time I just let them be, I haven't the heart to pull them.  Such sweet faces and colors who can resist!  I found some photos I took in the spring, cropped it, painted some areas with the scribbly scratchy technique (background mostly) and love the way it turned out.

Due to the limitations and inconsistencies of various display monitors, the colors you see on your screen may not be a totally accurate reproduction of the actual painting but I work to get the best likeness possible.

(C) Deborah A. Kirkeeide

Angel's Song

NFS, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I found these little angel ornaments a few years ago and thought it would be fun painting them and so I paired them up with the whimsical cupcake jar/container thingy.  I like a little whimsy now and then.

Garden Arbor

Click Here to Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

Remembering summer.  I'm feeling a little nostalgic about my gardens, soon they will be covered with snow and I won't see them until May.  I painted this from one of my garden photos and thought I would try to loosen my paint style a bit.

The Flower Umbrella

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

Just for fun!  One of my paintings this summer using the little flowers that I had fun with in other paintings and which to me looked like tiny umbrellas, especially in this composition.  I can imagine the flower in one of those tropical drinks where they add the small umbrellas.

Pumpkin Pretense

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

#4 in my pumpkin challenge series.  The little one is actually a gourd but it was so darn cute I had to include it in my series so thus the title, it's pretending to be a pumpkin.  I have accomplished my objective to paint all four of the pumpkins in my challenge but the other day I went for a Fall drive and found some beautiful heirloom pumpkins.  I particularly fell in love with a blueish one so yesterday I painted it with my original group of pumpkins.  I will post it soon.  The weather is not cooperating at the moment, too windy for a wet painting outside which is where I photo my paintings.  Stay tuned for #5.

Morning Trek

Oil On Gessobord, 5x7 inches, Not For Sale

This summer I enjoyed many early morning walks with my sister in Colorado while visiting our brother.  This painting is a result of a moment captured on one of those walks.  We all live in different states and don't get together enough so these moments are treasured memories.  

Walk Of Light

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I planted myself on a bench along a corridor of windows, it was morning and the light was shining in so beautifully.  I caught several people walking through the light, this little girl was one of them.  I plan to paint another light walker one of these days when the mood to paint another figure strikes me.  

How Now

Click Here To Buy It Now - $50, oil on gessobord, 5x7 inches

I was visiting a small town in Colorado this past summer, a very rural little area where many of the town streets are dirt streets.  I was out for a morning walk, stopped at a coffee shop for the WFYI and heard bellowing from a cow.  Upon investigating I found this young brown cow tied to a post & not happy about being left behind by it's owner.  I've never been close to a cow so I was a little afraid of approaching and even a young cow is very large.  It turned out this little guy was so friendly, gave me a lick or tried to and let me pet and scratch him.  He would have followed me home if not tied to the post.