Poultry Pageant

 

Acrylic, 10x20 inch on a wide cradled canvas.  

I've been laid up with a bug for over 3 weeks while the painting waited impatiently to be completed.  The canvas sat around in my studio for several years waiting for the perfect subject matter.  Seems I'm stuck on birds lately having painted three different crow paintings in a row.  I love birds and have made our yard bird friendly in order to watch their antics along with the squirrels.  A photo reference from pixabay.com inspired me for this piece but needed some editing to fit the canvas and work out other issues.  I edited the photo quite a bit pumping up the colors, adding the fun decorative details like stripes and checkers.  One of the end chickens faced looking out of the picture, flipping it to face the other chickens made a better composition. 

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

The Gift

 

Click Here For More Info:  8x8 inches, acrylic on canvas panel

Crow #4.  I painted this piece without the ribbon and felt something was missing.  Doing a little research I discovered some interesting stories about crows sometimes leaving gifts for people who feed them.  Although those gifts are probably more like rocks or shells the ribbon made a better composition especially with the addition of the red.  And who knows crows are fascinating creatures who can surprise us, even with a red ribbon.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

The Guest

 

Click Here For More Info:  8x10 inches, acrylic on a cradled panel (Da Vinci pro panel)

Crow painting #3.  Using a palette knife is new for me, the process and textures are amazing.  Also it was a lot of fun experimenting with the background colors on this piece, just doing whatever in the moment.  Even though crows seem to be basically black there is much more color in their feathers than you think.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Country Road

 

Click Here For More Info:  $135, 8x8 inches, acrylic on Ampersand gessobord

This started out as a landscape only and was painted a while back.  Although I liked the painting it needed something to finish so it sat and sat.  I thought maybe a cow in the field but that didn't feel right.  Eventually other things grabbed my attention, holidays came and went then someone commissioned me to do a crow.  The light bulb went off and the crows ended up being the perfect something.  Did you know that a group of crows is called a murder of crows?  I think it might have to do with superstitions but check it out.

I use professional heavy body acrylics and Ampersand gessobord is an acid free museum series panel.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

The Prize

 

Finally getting back to painting again after the holidays and other stuff.  This is a commissioned piece so will not be available for sale however I'm into crows right now so working on a few ideas.  Crows are fun to watch but only occasionally find their way into my backyard and it's usually when I'm feeding peanuts to the blue jays and squirrels.  They don't like to be watched and fly away when going to the window to watch their antics.  Trust needs to be gained I imagine.  

(I cropped a reference photo from pixabay.com)

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©  

The Garden

 

Acrylic on DaVinci Pro Panel, 12x12"

Playing with palette knives and abstracted images again with subject matter from my gardens, the painting is treated as a collage with a little story included.  We had a fancy pigeon that must have escaped and decided our yard was a good place to visit for the summer.  Looking him up on the internet I believed him to be a Saxon Pouter, he had these huge white feathers on his feet.  He always came for a meal of birdseeds, sunflower seeds, a drink, sometimes a bath and then a nap on top of the birdhouse in the painting.    He picked the birdhouse as his very own roost, chasing the little wrens away who had started a nest.  So there he sits next to the birdhouse for all time.  He became so familiar I had to give him a name, Sammy.  I miss him, he flew off when it started to get cold, his visits always cheered me.  I hope he found a safe warm place somewhere for the winter.  Maybe he returned home.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Skip It

 

Click Here For More Info:  $125, 6x6 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper

Who could resist a great photo reference like this (another from pixabay.com)?  I couldn't, it represents everything, good memories of a simple life, grandchildren, pets and sunshine.  I'm working to loosen up and let details go, just simplify which isn't as easy as it sounds.  

A black gesso ground was applied to the watercolor paper before painting.  

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Curiosity and the Cats

 

Click Here For More Info:  $125, 8x8 inches, acrylic on Ampersand Gessobord

Summer of 2022 I had the best time drawing and photographing four alpacas at a week long drawing camp through Rumriver art Center.  We were allowed to go into the enclosure for an up and close encounter with these four great guys.  We had to be careful because they would spit at each other competing for treats.  There was also a Momma cat looking for attention after delivering a litter of kittens. I threw in an extra cat for fun.  

I debated painting this photo for a long time, fear of failure is usually the culprit.  The alpacas had just been shaved and looked a little scrawny but this pose was calling to be captured in paint.

Be aware there can be some differences in color due to digital images and monitors but I try hard to get as close as possible.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Extreme Encounter

 Click Here For More Info - $200, 8x8 inches, Acrylic on 1/8" Ampersand gessobord

Lionfish are an extreme natural wonder, extreme in my opinion.  It looks like an alien or it should be in a circus, I mean what a great outfit its adorned with.  I think a costume like this has been done in sci-fi movies.  But you don't want to get to close as it has a natural weapon with those spines.  Anyway I needed some color and have been putting this project off for some time, (you can probably understand why) and this filled my desire for color. 

I use professional heavy body acrylics and Ampersand gessobord is an acid free museum series panel. 

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

What's Up?

 

Click Here For More Info - $100, 6x6 inches Acrylic on Ampersand gessobord

So what do you do with left over paint?  Left over paint always bothers me, I just can't waste it.  I've been making prints of my palette lately but you can only have so many of those.  Using left over paint to tone panels works great also.  This time it worked to do another painting and What's Up was created.  This little goldfish looks like its on its way up, maybe there's food or a friend, or maybe it's just touring its world.  

I use professional heavy body acrylics and Ampersand gessobord is an acid free museum series panel.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Curious Koi

 

NFS, 6x8 inches, Acrylic on a linen panel

I painted this awhile back from another pixabay.com photo reference.  Something bothered me about the painting so it was never posted.  I never planned to work on it again but one day the problem suddenly emerged, a bothersome tail.  So tail fixed and it's ready to find a home.

This has been a summer exploring hand built ceramic pottery.  Feels so good to be challenging myself in a new creative way.  That said it's also been frustrating, working with clay is a lot harder than it looks and is taking me ages to finish projects.  So I'm taking a break from painting for the moment enjoying some 3D creations.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

I See You

 

Click Her For More Info: $250, 9x12 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper

I have been working on and off on this painting for over a year and truth be told, working more off than on.  Something about it bothered me so it sat (the off time) until slowly, very slowly the realization was the background trees weren't working.  What to do?  Well it should have been obvious but no, so it sat for awhile longer.  I finally made the addition of more colorful leaves covering the offending trees.  You can see the first version below.  So new additions deserved a new title and Hidden Purpose became I See You.  Now the question is:  Who is seeing who?

Deborah A. Kirkeeide ©

All Ears

 

Click Here For More Info:  $130, 6x6 inches, 1/8" acrylic on Ampersand Gessobord

This is Guttorm and I truly believe he smiles.  My dog Niki learned to smile and greeted me with one everyday when returning from work.  This is another of the Boys from my week with the alpacas, you can read the write up on my blog.  Guttorm is a social butterfly or maybe it was just the treats we carried to entice the group.  Alpacas are so dang cute!

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide © 

Surprise!

 

Click Here For More Info:  $150, 6x6 inches, acrylic on 1/8" Ampersand Gessobord

This is Boris from my week of alpaca drawing and photographing.  See my blog write up and photos of my alpaca week.  It was such a fun experience and so lucky to have the opportunity to see alpacas up close and personal.  This painting is from my favorite photo of the boys, there were four male alpacas all with different personalities.  I felt compelled to paint in a loose fun style to match the expression.  

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide © 

Hidden Purpose

 

9x12 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper

This painting began a year ago with something like throwing color in the air, letting it land where it will then scraping it across the surface of the paper.  I didn't actually throw the color in the air more like dropping paint in puddles on the paper but it has that same out of control feeling.   So thats the fun part, the next step is what to do with it, that's when a lot of thinking and sketching comes to play.  The sketches were not making me happy so I shelved it and occasionally would get the painted background out to ponder.  Just recently I did a new sketch adding and rearranging elements including negative space ideas for this final design until satisfied.  This type of painting takes me way longer than my usual acrylic paintings.  I spent half my time just looking and pondering until something clicks.

It was intentional to keep the owl blended into the background but still keep it visible and identifiable letting the background enhance the image and vice versa.  What I love about this process is how it makes me go places never thought of.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Underwater Attraction

 

Click Here For More Info:  $300, 8x8 inches, acrylic on Ampersand gessobord

Who isn't mesmerized watching fish in their watery home and who hasn't tried having a fish tank at least once?  Or maybe a screen saver of an underwater world (very addictive).  The painted version of an aquarium is much easier to take care of.  This is another painting on black gesso and has been protected by an acrylic varnish.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide ©

Air Acrobat

 

Click Here For More Information:  $125, 6x6 inches, acrylic on 1/8" Ampersand Gessobord

Storks seem like acrobats to me, they have to be pretty good at aerial maneuvers for precision landings on those high up nests.  From an art perspective the design elements in this photo were too hard to resist.  I cropped the photo to concentrate on the one stork.  It was fun seeing what the big one inch brush would do in small areas but I have to admit that I did bring in the smaller brush for some details.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright

Head Over Heals Cute

 

This is not for sale, I painted this per a request from my daughter.  This is her families very beloved Shih Tzu (Shitzu?), Aryana who is in the winter of her life.  I've painted her before for my granddaughter.  I wasn't excited about the photo my daughter sent me but it was one of her favorites.  I played around with the photo in Photo Shop Elements to get rid of the bandit eyes which helped, (see the photo below).  I'm curious if my daughter will see this post as she doesn't know that it's painted.  She never visits my blog so it's probably safe, lol.

Meadow Belle

Click Here To Buy It Now:  $150, 6x8 inches, Acrylic on 1/8" museum gessobord

I'm inspired to paint animals right now so here is Belle.  She has a dreamy far away look or maybe bored and wants to be back at the barn.  I really don't know Belle but loved the photo reference and decided to give her a bright sky background with clouds.  I was thinking of naming this painting Belles In The Meadow but my husband wasn't fond of that title.  What do you think?

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright  

Life's A Ball

Click Here to Bid Now:  6x6 inches, acrylic on 1/8" museum gessobord

This painting is from a photo reference on pixabay, it makes me smile and gives me joy.  What could be better than a ball and a loving human companion to tirelessly throw it?  The joy of simple things, a simple life.  It's a reminder that there are still good things in a world that seems broken.  I needed this reminder and I hope the painting makes you smile.

Stay safe everyone and be reminded of the simple joys around you.

Deborah Ann Kirkeeide copyright


On another note I'm still working on my painting of a family vintage photo from the 1940's.  It's getting closer but just not there yet.  A good exercise but frustrating.  I'm not someone who likes painting the same subject over and over, I loose interest and if you don't have interest you might as well not pick up the brush.  I'm also stubborn, this is like my 4th try at painting this subject.  Because I have so many great family vintage photos to paint I keep striving to figure it out.  The place in Arizona is called Hole In The Rock.