Ramiro

 "Ramiro" (pastel, 10x17) bid or buy

Enjoy this speed video of this, my latest sheep painting! https://youtu.be/gQW-AM4FIrY

Day 13 of 28: "Gerty"

Day 13 of 28: "Gerty" (pastel, 6x6 inches) bid or buy

Gerty is the star of my Zoom demo this morning for the Pastel Society of Central Florida. They wanted to see a sheep, so I found this lovely sunlit angle on this ewe's face in my "good sheep" image folder.

I'll be sending the full-length demo video to the PSCF, and maybe they'll put it on their website. If they share it anywhere I'll be sure to post a link! 

Meanwhile, enjoy this quick GIF of the main progress points of the painting. 

I actually got as far as the 5th image in the morning demo, but I wasn't satisfied with the overall darkness of the painting, nor the disproportionate variance in the shadow values on the sheep. So afterwards, I took a good look and decided it was mostly the background that was too dark. So I wiped it all out, used gesso to lighten parts, and re-primed in gold. It took some experimentation (and more tweaks on the face!) before I was satisfied.

28-in-28 for February - Painting #3

 

Day 3 of 28: "Hey, Ewe!" (pastel, 6x4 inches) sold

I'm really scrambling to get my month of paintings up and running! This was a leftover from a batch of underpaintings from way back... might have been a workshop, I can't even remember. But it was nicely waiting for me on a shelf, ready to pastel! 

Here's a short montage of some clips of the pasteling here!

I had fun with the wooliness on such a small scale. Lots of tiny Pointillistic dots and dabs!

Shaggy Sheep

 

 "Shaggy Sheep" (pastel, 8x8 inches)

Here's a quick video of the shaggy star of November's Paint-Along! Woah, what a poufy hairdo! Quite popular actually, this ewe has been featured in several paintings over the years... you can see them all on my Patreon page here!

Click here to bid or buy

She was always awkward in family photos (my latest sheep painting!)

 

"She was always awkward in family photos" (pastel, 30x30 inches) $4500

This painting had been in the works since April after my two other large sheep paintings sold from my solo show! I guess I might become known as the "sheep lady" instead of the "cow lady" lol!

Watch a 5 minute speed demo of this painting Here! It includes a short intro explaining my thought process for the composition and how I made it. Some closeup details also in that link!

Recent Sheep Won Honorable Mention

"They don't see what she sees" (pastel, 36x36) sold

I'm thrilled to brag that my most recent large sheep painting has been selected by juror Marla Baggetta for an Honorable Mention in the Established Category of the Dakota Pastels 2021 Second Quarter Pastel Competition! The painting will automatically move on to the year-end Grand Prize portion of the contest. 

Best of all, the prize comes with a $100 gift certificate to Dakota Pastels! Whoohoo!! I'm goin' shopping!

This painting, as I composed it, is an allegory on how children see differently than most adults, While the grown ups are engrossed with something off screen, the child notices... you! The viewer! This can also be a comment on how we are trained as we grow up not to stare at people and to, in fact, ignore outsiders, but it's charming how children will engage directly with strangers, and will frequently exchange a silent communication of emotion and expression (smile at a baby, and they often smile back!)

See a speed video of this painting's process here!

Day 4 of 30 - Sun Candy

 

Day 4 of 30 paintings in June - "Sun Candy" (pastel, 10x10 inches) bid or buy here

This was another underpainting that I had done a while back. As I pasteled this sheep, the colors I was using (and the fluffiness) reminded me of cotton candy, but sunlit!

Watch a little speed video here!

Shearlie (Warm Fuzzy #68)

 

Warm Fuzzy #68 - "Shearlie"  (pastel, 6x6 inches) $285

This lovely little sheep was one of the last few littles I painted for my Solo Show, just two days before delivery last Monday. I really like this one. She almost painted herself. Love it when that happens.

See a fun little GIF of process of Shearlie on this post!

Shearlie will be in my Exhibit, Kindred Spirits, at the ARTS for Rural Texas in Fayetteville, March 27 - May 29, 2021. Opening Reception this Saturday March 27, 5-7pm. View the show online here.

A percentage of the proceeds from the show will support the free programs provided by Arts for Rural Texas, a 501(C)(3) not for profit organization.

(Note: the ARTS commerce site has been down all day as I type this, so if it's still down when you read this, you can view all the paintings in the show on my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/RitaKirkmanStudio, and any purchase inquiries can be directed to the ARTS at 979-378-2113 or info@artsforruraltexas.org.)

"Two o'clock has come and gone."

 

"Two o'clock has come and gone" (pastel, 36x36 inches) sold

This painting will be one of two showcased large works for my Solo Exhibition, Kindred Spirits, at the ARTS for Rural Texas in Fayetteville, March 27 - May 29, 2021. Opening Reception March 27, 5-7pm.

Here it is condensed into a 3 minute slide show for your enjoyment! With a lullaby to ease you into a restful night.

Become a Patron and watch the video of how I edited the underpainting, and my thoughts on the composition!

"Winter/Spring"

"Winter/Spring" (pastel, 10x22 inches) $980

I just love how white wooly sheep look in late sunlight. This is my 4th or 5th medium/large sheep painting, all from the same "photo shoot" of a beautiful herd that I discovered on the way home from somewhere a few years ago. It was abut 5 o'clock and the light was fantastic, and the sheep were a wonderful mix of young and old, shorn and thickly unshorn. I must have taken over a hundred photos as they milled about. Sometimes I'll use various photos for my compositions, but these two happened to be standing next to each other just like this when I snapped the photo.

I loved the contrast of shapes and the challenge of using an even number of subjects in a composition.  I decided to crop it long and narrow to fit this gold frame. 

This one will be going to the Art Connections Gallery in La Grange Texas on Friday for my featured wall this month. I'm so excited to have been found by this gallery right after the Gallery at Round Top had closed. Serendipity!

You can see me working through most of the pastel process of these sheep (in real-time) in this post on my Patreon page (the Bunny Buddies level.)

Warm Fuzzy #37 - Rommie

Warm Fuzzy #37 - "Rommie" (pastel, 7x5 inches)

"Rommie" was from the same herd as "Shareen". I thought his little curly horns were cute. Watch me pastel him in this speed video here!

This painting is auctioned HERE through August 4 😀

Connection Timed Out - New Award!

"Connection Timed Out" (pastel, 16x30 inches) $2500 framed

I'm excited to brag that my most recent sheep painting won the Jack Richeson & Company Award at the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod juried exhibition 2020 For Pastels Only.

See the show here. The show and sale is still in progress through July 14.

I realized recently that I had never posted any process pics for this painting, and I had taken a bunch! Here are a few of my process pics below.

You can read expanded descriptions on my process of this painting (and more!) by becoming a patron on my Patreon Page!

Warm Fuzzy #23 - Violet

Warm Fuzzy #23 - "Violet" (pastel, 6x6 inches) click here to bid or buy

This sweet baby lamb was a cousin or some such to "Baaabee" the little black lamb from a couple weeks ago. I don't know what kind of sheep they were, but the herd had mostly white mamas and quite a large number of black lambs. Some of the lighter lambs had some variations of grays in their wool. Almost silvery and quite pretty!

Thanks for watching! Please share!


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Warm Fuzzy #16 - Gandalf

"Gandalf" (pastel, 6x6 inches) click here to bid or buy

In another fortuitous wander around Fredericksburg in early March, I came across the most beautiful herd of pure white horned sheep. I don't know the breed, but they sure are lovely!

Here are some progress pics of Gandalf:

Thanks for watching! Please share!


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Ester

"Ester" (pastel, 7x5 inches) click here to bid or buy

Another demo from the Montreal workshop. A curious sheep I met in Texas somewhere.

If you haven't heard, my next workshop is close to home. January 18-19, 2020 in Georgetown Texas. Start you New Year off with a creative boost!
Contact Donna at donna@cordovanartschool.com
Click the flyer for more details...

Cassandra

"Cassandra" (pastel, 6x6 inches) sold

Another overlooked demo from July's workshop in SD. Purchased by a student, I had forgotten to get a photo when she was done, and luckily the gal who bought her was able to send me a pic before she framed her.

But I did have a photo of the underpainting. Cassandra was one of my assembly-line underpainting demo...

When creating my small "daily" paintings, I spread one layer of gold colored primer across large pieces of Gatorboard (or Yupo), then cut to size and transfer my drawings, working in 'batches' of 6 to 12 at a time. Then I underpaint in an "assembly-line," working each layer of primer on each painting in a row, then going back to the first for the next layer. I like to demo this process in my workshops with a "multi-demo", where I show this assembly line approach on 3 or 4 small paintings at once.

These first layers are gold colored. This is Golden brand Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold fluid acrylic color mixed into Golden brand Pastel Ground at about a 1/4 (color/gel) ratio. The gel is clear, so the color mixture is semi-transparent, and gets darker on each application. I usually apply 2 more layers of the gold to get the light values of the underpainting established.

The final layer of primer here is the Art Spectrum (brand) Pastel Primer in the terra cotta color. I lay it into the darkest areas, then scrub and dry-brush it into the medium values of the gold to continue the value scale and add more depth to the monochromatic underpainting.

Occasionally on animals with black fur, I enjoy using the black Art Spectrum primer, or a mixture of the Golden pastel ground with Ultramarine blue fluid acrylic, which over the terra cotta color shows as a nice, rich dark value.

A cow underpainting with gold, terra cotta, and ultramarine blue.

Connection Timed Out - in China Exhibit!

"Connection Timed Out" (pastel, 16x30 inches) $2500

Two wooly sheep, standing together, yet separate. As I was composing this scene from some favorite sheep photos, my computer was giving me problems, hence the composition and title idea. On a larger scale, this could represent interpersonal or even global communication issues.

This painting will be part of the 5th International Zhuhai Shutong Pastel Invitational Exhibition, at the Zhuhai Cultural Centre, Zhuhai City, PR China, November 23 - December, 2019.

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Eight or Nine Sheep awarded in PSC Show!

"Eight or Nine Sheep" (pastel, 15x30 inches) sold

I'm excited to brag that two of my paintings are included in the Pastel Society of Colorado online show, Chroma, right now! And Eight or Nine Sheep has an Honorable Mention! (Only ten paintings were awarded, out of 86 paintings in the show.) A big thank you to Awards Judge Dawn Emerson.

My other painting included is my recent Renaissance portrait, "Persephone".

"Persephone" (pastel, 8x6 inches) $1150

The show is online August 16-October 16, 2019.

See the show here!

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Deep Sheep - in new book!

"Deep Sheep" (pastel, 28x25 inches) sold

A new brag that I'm excited about! This painting has been included in the new art book Pure Pastel: Contemporary Works by Today's Top Artists, now available for pre-order on ArtistsNetwork.com!
 

This book has been a long time coming... I'm eagerly awaiting my copy!

See some progress shots of Deep Sheep on this earlier post.

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