Raven

The Raven, 6 x 6" oil on panel

I haven't painted much in the last three weeks.  I had a lovely vacation in Charleston, South Carolina with my husband and then returned just in time to move my studio at The Second Floor Studios into another room, and then paint the entire space and put it together in time for Art Walk and our Holiday Open House the next day.  I had exactly 3 1/2 days to accomplish this, and somehow pulled it together enough to make it presentable!   There's still a lot of stuff to finish, like a second coat of paint on the woodwork and weatherproofing the windows now that it's colder, but I'm tackling that only a little bit each day in order to turn my attention back to the easel!





"The Raven" is the last little painting I did before I left for Charleston. I especially love the little bits of orange popping up around the edges. You can buy "The Raven" now for $80 plus $10 shipping, or you can visit my daily paintworks auction that begins on November 17th. Starting bid is only $35.00! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/23850

www.juliekirkland.com

Autumn Stream

"Autumn Stream", 8 x 8 in., oil on panel

All artists love autumn.  The colors, textures, and golden light are a feast for the eyes and senses.  I have so many fabulous fall reference photos that I'm excited to paint, and this scene is one of the handful that I've chosen to paint recently.  Initially, I painted it with a brush, as I normally do.  I ended up with an overworked, dull result that I scraped off of the canvas.  The ghost image left on the canvas confirmed that it was a good composition and that I had been on track with the right colors, I had just scrubbed the paint to death by stroking it over and over.  I've discovered that whenever I'm not using enough paint and pushing the paint around too much with my brush, using a palette knife is like hitting a reset button in my brain.  The palette knife forces me to use more paint and to lay it down in one stroke without scrubbing it into the canvas.  I'm very happy with the results of this painting!  The palette knife strokes lend a sparkling quality to the water and the fall colors are fresh and bright.

The price of  "Autumn Stream" is $200 plus shipping and tax (if applicable).  You can purchase it at that price right now, or you can visit http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Buy/Auction/16942 to participate in my online auction.  Starting bid is $100, and the auction ends October 6th. 

Contact me at info@juliekirkland.comwith any questions you may have.

"Bathing Beauty", Colorado Artist Julie Kirkland, Contemporary Realism

Summer is here and it's getting warmer in my studio than I find comfortable--perhaps that's what led me to paint this little gal sitting in that cool, blue water! "Kiddie Pool," 6 x 8 framed oil, $140, tax and shipping included. Questions? Contact me at info@juliekirkland.com.

"Old Faithful," Colorado Artist Julie Kirkland, small oil paintings, dog paintings, labrador paintings

One more dog!  This yellow lab was sitting so patiently in the back of his master's truck that I couldn't resist painting him!  This 6 x 6 inch oil painting comes framed for $100, including tax and shipping.  Contact Julie Kirkland at info@juliekirkland.com

You can see more of my work on my website: www.juliekirkland.com