Gary J. Kirkpatrick Art and Travel Blog
Expressionistic art
Scilla is a small fishing village in Calbria. It’s narrow streets stretch across the harbor. We visited in April 2025. We’d never been to Calabria before. For more https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/reggio-de-calabria-then-and-now/
Ballerina: Vencerem (We shall overcome) was produced for the 13th annual Art al Career (Street Art) fair in Picanya, Spain. It is organized by the Dones de Picanya (Women of Picanya in Valencian) . Picanya suffered significant losses in the floods in October 2025. There is still much work needed there: houses, bridges, businesses and much more. The metro is still not working.
This painting is about the overcoming the obstacles on the path to recovery, symbolized by her dancing on the fender of a wrecked car. The lettering in the painting is actually straight. Getting a perfect photo was not possible in my studio.
Part of a new series of brightly colored paintings based on models
This is the third painting featuring the pianist. The first is a realistic depiction
The second, completed just a month or so ago, appeared in the Street Art Fair in Picanya, Spain
This is another in my series of paintings inspired by Edward Hopper. This is based on In a New York restaurant. While the general design is Hopper’s, there are many variation of the design and changes to the characters in the set, in addition to a much different painting style and technique. For example, with regard to the characters, the central figure’s face is fully exposed and is an auto retrato. The cloaked figure’s face is showing. There are three red headed figures and a figure behind the revolving door.
Click https://garyjkirkpatrick.com/category/art/hopper-inspired/ to see the other paintings in this series.
Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring inspired this painting. My reference reminded me of his fabulous and famous piece. However there are major differences. He bathed her face in light, but here it is gently swathed in shadow with highlights produced by the light coming from the side. The background is lighter and more varied than Vermeer’s traditionally dark surface.
My tribute to the women of my life and some of those who have inspired me. https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
My contribution to the L’Art de Career (Valenciano for Art on the Street) in Picanya, a small town on the south side of Valencia. It was sponsored by the Women of Picanya http://www.picanya.org/persones/dones/activitats. There are about 50 pieces hanging from the balconies celebrating women through March 20 2022.
Here are my comments:
Vivir tus sueños (Live Your Dreams)
This expressionist piece is about living our dreams, our desire to become who we want to be, to accomplish what we want to accomplish. We all seek the path we find most attractive.
Expressionism rejects the restrictions of realism while remaining largely figurative- you can recognize the object even if it’s not realistic. It also can include abstract elements. Here there are four women, two playing musical instruments, one singing. The fourth dreams of her possibilities. Not all the figures are attractive- beauty is not a requirement for success. There are two muses in the upper left and a third on the bottom left. They inspire the dreams.
The dreams of our youth influence the rest of our life. Those of our mature years, our 30’s and 40’s, are increasingly influenced by experience. As we continue to age, we tend to become more realistic but still can have our dreams, guiding our later years.
Vivir tus sueños (Live Your Dreams)
Esta obra expresionista trata el tema de los sueños que las personas tenemos, nuestras ganas de ser quien queremos ser, de lograr lo que queremos lograr. Cada uno de nosotros busca la libertad de seguir el camino que más nos atrae.
El Expresionismo rechaza las restricciones del realismo, y por eso nos permite explorar formas y figuras con menos límites. En esta obra, se ve a cuatro mujeres, dos que tocan instrumentos musicales, otra que baila. La cuarta mujer sueña con las posibilidades. También se ve a dos musas a la izquierda y otra al fondo quienes le inspiran a ella. Las musas vuelan en su mundo, invitándonos a explorar mundos nuevos.
Los sueños de nuestra juventud influyen al resto de nuestra vida. Los sueños de nuestros días más maduros, en torno a la edad de 30 y 40 años, se ven más influenciados por las experiencias que hemos tenido, haciéndonos más realistas, y reconociendo nuestros
límites. Según vamos envejeciendo, volvemos a explorar nuestros sueños de una forma menos condicionada, ya que, en este periodo tenemos más tiempo libre y posiblemente más recursos disponibles, los sueños nos guían otra vez.
I happened upon a street corner in Valencia where the idea of this painting occured to me. I modified the scene, chose my own lighting and color scheme and modified the architecture, and then placed the figure.
This is another in my series of Edward Hopper inspired pieces. I was born in the town where he was born and lived, Nyack, NY (1882-1967). His wife Josephine Nivison was also an artist. She contributed to his work as a model and as an artist.
