April 20, 2010

Return to the Summer Queen

Return to the Summer Queen
8x16 Oil on Canvas

©2010 Deb Kirkeeide. All rights reserved.
There are  paintings that sit here and stare at me. They whine ("am i pretty? I don't feel pretty... why is she prettier than I am?") and complain. And the longer I look at them the more I want to try and improve on them. Quite often I realize I should have left them alone and have just sent them off on their merry way to the island of misfit paintings. (my daughters have declared themselves rulers of this island)

So, I kept looking at this one from last year and agreed she looked a little pale and washed out so I decided to give her  a little makeover. I don't know that I improved on her, though she does have a lot more pizazz, I think. It gave me an opportunity to play and experiment with technique and it also ties in with another painting I've been working on lately, in theme and technique.

Obviously the summer Queen has no problem with hayfever. If this were a portrait of me, there would be a bottle of Zyrtec tucked in there. Spring has sprung with a vengeance here, pollen, pollen everywhere!






15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! This is beautiful. If you ever need to send any paintings to the island let me know and I'll be sure to join the pirates and overtake the ship filled with those paintings. It's beautiful!

Krista said...

I Love Her. You are right mom, Katie and I are the rulers of the misfit island. I like to think of myself as the queen and Katie as the joker. :) Spring has sprung here as well. Beautiful here, but I HATE the pollen. Love you and miss you.

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Thanks Kian! (we'll know where to look when they show up missing...) Glad you like it.

Krista, I'm sure Katie will love THAT title... Love you!

Unknown said...

Trust me when i say i am a critic (which is probably not a good thing). I love this painting, i think it is beautiful. One day when i budget in for fine art a piece like this will find a place on my wall :)

Silver said...

i think it looks great. color, tone and overall composition. She has very seductive lips too. ;)

~Silver

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Kelly - that is wonderful praise. Thank you!

Silver - Thank you. Lips befitting of a queen(or a goddess!)

Katie said...

A joker...really!?! Love it Mom!

Linda Popple said...

This is a beautiful painting with all those flowers surrounding such a beautiful face! How about a series with queens of all the seasons? :-) Love your work! Also, love your daughters' comments!! :-)

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Linda - I think you're on to something. Stay tuned...:) and thanks!

Deborah said...

I really like the combination of two ideas (can I call them that??) in one painting. Lovely to look at and makes the painting more interesting in a thinking way. Sorry, I'm not very articulate about art, Deb, but hope you know what I mean. There's more intellectual depth to this than if it were just the face, or just the flowers. To me, anyway. :)

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Deborah - I like hearing your take on it. I've been at a loss to even come up with the meaning of it myself - it's been a theme that keeps showing up in sketches and I can't define it. So I'll just let them be what they are for now.

christopher said...

I think it is exquisite.

As truly advanced as cameras have become, they are still unmatched by human artists like you.

Double "D" said...

I'm glad the summer has come to the Queen.
She's as beautiful as the flowers of summer.
Always glad when I see a new post from Deb.
Doug

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Christopher - thank you. What a lovely compliment.

Doug - thank you! Your comment is so poetic and always a treat.

GYPSYWOMAN said...

oh, what a beautiful goddess you have created - full of color and femininity - wonderful - i've missed your regal gallery over here, lady!