Heirloom Sunflowers

Click Here To Buy It Now - $100, oil on gessobord, 6x8 inches

I attended an art festival last fall and they were giving away all these wonderful annual seed packets, these are heirloom sunflowers named Autumn Beauty .  I love the ring of yellow around the dark center!  I wasn't sure about planting them as they were outside the comfortable standard yellow sunflowers normally planted but I'm sure glad I tried because they are beauties.  And well it's summer after all so I have to paint some flowers.

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

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

Summer Lunch

Contact the artist if interested in purchasing, oil on gessobord, 8x10 inches

I'm finally posting this painting completed this past spring using a reference photo from a few years ago.  I did the painting then traveled to California to spend time with my daughter and grandkiddos.  Life gets busy in the summer, so much to do and see.  That's what I love about this painting, everyone in Minnesota lives outside in the summer and "Summer Lunch" is a little snap shot of that life.  Us Minnesotan's, like anyone living in the cold winter climates, get out and soak up as much sun as possible in our short summers.  Fishing, camping, festivals, parks, biking, walking, gardening, so much to do, so little time!  Oh and the MN State Fair is coming, I hope to get another painting in this year, wish me luck.

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

Sea Angels

While traveling to California recently I had fun making these little Sea Angels with my Granddaughter from driftwood found at the beach.  We carved circle faces and designs, glued broken shells like a mosaic, added string and incorporated Bible verses on some.  One even has a piece of sea glass shaped like a heart embedded in the body (the bigger one).  I was also working on an art journal and did a painting of one sea angel for a page (top photo).  Great fun and good memories!

(C) Deborah A. Kirkeeide

This Little Pig

Contact the artist if interested in purchasing, oil on gessobord, 6x6 inches

My first oil painting since forever it seems and I'm back at it again.  When I painted this all I could think of was the toe game Mothers play with their babies toes, "this little pig went to market, this little pig stayed home....etc.  I played this with my children and grandchildren, such a lovely close time spent with babies.  This little pig however wasn't so little; I went to the state fair to photo everything interesting which also led me to the animal barns and this pig who posed so sweetly for me.  I love to paint animals, hopefully you will be seeing more of them in the future.

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

Best Of Show!

I was honored recently by receiving a Best Of Show award for my painting "Autumn Walk", oil on canvas.  I joined an Artist's group last fall, Artist del Norte and they were advertising their spring show for 2016 with the theme Into The Woods.  They were telling everyone to get out there and take photos since the color was so beautiful at the time.  So I grabbed my camera and ended up at a nature center snapping endless photos.  It was a bit overcast that day which worked better for color and out of those endless photos I managed to get a couple that inspired me, this was one.  I don't consider myself a landscape painter and I hadn't painted a piece over 9x12 inches in years (this painting is 18x24 inches) so this was super challenging for me.  After I completed the painting which took 3 days, I went through a period of ups and downs thinking yes this is good to what were you thinking.  Anyway this award was very encouraging, the judge had many good things to say about the piece and I am feeling so honored.  Challenges are good but not always successful in terms of a finished piece, I was fortunate this time.