The Art of Barb Kirpluk: Blue Sky Cardinal

Saturday, May 4, 2024

This simple color scheme shows off the subject's vibrant red color. I like adding interest with textural marks so your eye does not become bored.

on May 04, 2024

Barb: Barb Kirpluk is an artist, writer, and musician with a lifelong passion for nature and creativity. She is the author of Caw of the Wild: Observations from the Secret World of Crows and the novel Sea Horses in the Olive Jar. Known for her striking paintings of birds and wolves, she brings a keen observational eye and deep affection for wildlife to her work. A dedicated plein air painter, Kirpluk believes direct observation is essential to developing a painter’s eye. Working primarily in oils and acrylics, she often bases her paintings on her own photography, capturing reference images on walks through her local forest and at local zoos, where she studies endangered animals. She credits artists like James Gurney, Marco Bucci, Aaron Blaise, and Robert Bateman for inspiring her artistic journey and continues to learn from the wealth of knowledge shared by professionals online. Beyond painting and writing, Kirpluk is a musician who rescues and repairs broken acoustic guitars, giving them a second life. Her work—whether on canvas, in writing, or through music—celebrates transformation and the power of creativity to bridge the gap between the ordinary and the extraordinary.