Meet 10 women who are making their marks
RITA KIRKMAN
Rita Kirkman, Hay! It’s What’s for Lunch, pastel, 36 x 36.
Where do you live and work? I live in the south-central Texas Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I love painting animals, but for me, it’s not really the animals that I’m painting, it’s the light. The animals are just the models. I also enjoy portraiture.
How would you describe your style? I sometimes call it contemporary realism, which is a rather broad category. I’m also highly influenced by Impressionism, but occasionally my work still reverts back toward the tight photo-realism of my younger years.
Where did you study art? I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Dayton in Ohio and later attended the Coppini Academy of Fine Art in San Antonio. But most of what I do now has been learned through workshops with prominent pastelists and through lots and lots of painting.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? All of the award-winning paintings I’ve done of my children. I couldn’t have done it without them!
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I love reading, walking, taking photos, and playing with my cats.
What galleries represent your work? Carriage House Gallery, Boerne, TX; The Gallery at Brookwood, Brookshire, TX; www.ritakirkman.com.
WEATHERLY STROH
Weatherly Stroh, Nuzzling, oil, 36 x 72.
Where do you live and work? I grew up in Michigan and spent 20 years in Colorado. Now I live in Wellington, FL, and work in West Palm Beach.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I grew up on a farm riding horses, and we had a menagerie of cats and dogs as well, so these are some of my favorite subjects. I had a client commission a painting of an elephant last year, and that inspired me to go back through photos from a trip to Kenya and Tanzania, which resulted in a whole collection of zebra paintings.
How would you describe your style? I go from loosely realistic to more abstract and expressive.
Where did you study art? I went to a high school that had a really strong art program, and that is where I took my first painting class. In college, though, my first and only painting class was terrible, so I ended up being a photography major. I took some workshops in my 20s and early 30s. I finally committed to painting full time in 2011.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? Having my work chosen for the cover of the program of the Winter Equestrian Festival [the world’s largest equestrian competition] in 2020.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I’m an avid tennis player, and I love spending time with my dog Gus, practicing yoga, reading, and traveling.
What galleries represent your work? Spa Fine Art, Saratoga Springs, NY; Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder, CO; Bozzuto Greene Art, Lutherville, MD; Haven Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL; www.weatherlystroh.com.
PEGGY LUDINGTON
Peggy Ludington, Everything the Light Touches, oil, 16 x 12.
Where do you live and work? Our home is in rural Santa Rosa Valley, CA.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? Since childhood, I’ve been deeply connected with animals. Their forms and faces inspire me, and those eyes—they touch my heart.
How would you describe your style? “Formal expressionism” best describes my style. I tend to meld with my subjects while painting, so each piece has an emotional quality in origin and impact. Form is depicted accurately using representational values, which contrasts with my use of vivid, nonrepresentational color.
Where did you study art? My mother recognized my gift early and started me in oil-painting lessons. I continued at Pepperdine University but got fascinated by academics, which landed me in law school. Since returning to art, I’ve studied with some greats—Timothy Horn, Quang Ho, Lynn Gertenbach, Mitch Albala, Mark Daniel Nelson, Peggi Kroll Roberts, and Sarah J. Webber.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? Art is such a solitary pursuit. In my longing for community, I formed Monday Morning Painters—a small group of working artists who paint together weekly. Over the years, it has evolved into an intimate group of dear friends.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I am very into my family. Beyond that, I like to write, and I am working to deepen my understanding of life through meditation and contemplative study. My new book, Meditation Manual: Simple Directions to a Life-Changing Practice, is a recent project.
What galleries represent your work? www.peggyludington.com.
PATTI MCNUTT
Patti McNutt, A Proper Cup of Coffee, oil, 16 x 16.
Where do you live and work? I’ve been a resident of Eugene, OR, since the mid-1980s. It’s a wonderful place to live. From Eugene, it’s a few hours west to the Oregon coast or east to the Cascade mountains.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? Looking around the studio, it seems like a fifty-fifty split between landscapes and still lifes, with a dash of portraiture as “seasoning.” I also love painting ships and barns.
How would you describe your style? Impressionistic, leaning toward German Impressionism and the Italian Macchiaioli, especially in the construction of the work. I tend to abstract the reality before me and concentrate on color, light, patterns, and the joy of the moment.
Where did you study art? I study with many local artists and also take workshops from visiting professionals. The artists who have the most impact on my craft are Sarkis Antikajian, Barbara Jaenicke, Robert Liberace, Carol Marine, Jerry Ross, Erik Sandgren, Sarah Sedwick, and Yer (Za) Vue.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? My first show, which was in a restaurant here in Eugene. The whole process of framing, pricing, hanging, and sharing my art with strangers was such a vulnerable experience. Then, a few days later, someone bought a piece! A few days after that, someone else bought one! It was an amazing feeling.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Hiking, traveling, and reading.
What galleries represent your work? Currents Gallery, McMinnville, OR; New Zone Gallery, Eugene, OR; Coos Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery, Coos Bay, OR; www.pattimcnutt.com.
THALIA STRATTON
Thalia Stratton, En Garde, oil, 28 x 22.
Where do you live and work? I live in San Francisco, CA, and I work at the San Francisco Design Center.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? Elegant interiors and exterior settings. And I started a new series, The Art of Fencing, earlier this year. l am trying to create more awareness of the sport. I am reaching out to fencing organizations in the hopes of exhibiting in conjunction with the Paris Olympics in 2024. I believe the United States has a very competitive team!
How would you describe your style? Contemporary impressionism.
Where did you study art? I have both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? I won a Grand Prize in an International Artist magazine competition. l recently received an Award of Excellence from the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society. And in March I will be one of the featured artists at Art Matters, the San Marino League’s biennial juried art exhibition, at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Teaching my students and watching my niece at fencing practice.
What galleries represent your work? New Masters Gallery, Carmel, CA; Howard/Mandville Gallery, Woodinville, WA; Eminent Design, Palm Springs, CA.
MARY GARRISH
Mary Garrish, Twilight Reflection, oil, 12 x 24.
Where do you live and work? I live in Merritt Island, FL, which is near Cocoa Beach. Because of this I paint a lot of skies and ocean and marsh scenes. My studio in my house faces west, and therefore I have a constant barrage of skies to paint.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? What really draws me in is atmosphere. That is what I have really been working on lately with a limited palette.
How would you describe your style? Evolving! I paint representationally, but I am really working on the abstract design that leads to great compositions.
Where did you study art? When I retired from medicine to paint full time, I took many workshops from great instructors such as Scott Christensen, C.W. Mundy, Matt Smith, Kenn Backhaus, and Larry Moore.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? I am yet to have it! I keep looking to the future to where the journey will take me and what I may create.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I am pretty boring in that when I am not creating art, I am often studying art. Since this is my second career, I always feel as though I need to catch up. I also spend a lot of time with family and love to travel, especially when I can paint.
What galleries represent your work? Hagan Fine Art Gallery, Charleston, SC; J.M. Stringer Fine Art, Vero Beach, FL; www.marygarrishfineart.com.
PEGGY TRIGG
Peggy Trigg, Windy Point, oil, 36 x 36.
Where do you live and work? Questa, NM, a village just north of Taos. I create my artwork mostly outside in the local area.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? The landscape. I was raised in the country in northern New Mexico and have a deep love for it. My favorite things to paint include the Rio Grande Gorge and high-desert sage.
How would you describe your style? I am an impressionistic painter, sometimes leaning a little toward expressionism. I paint fast and loose using a large brush or a painting spatula. I love design, so I focus a lot on shape, color, texture, and line and not so much on the actual representation of a scene.
Where did you study art? I started my art schooling in Austin, TX, and finished up my formal education at the University of New Mexico.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? I think my proudest accomplishment is that I have followed my dream. I have been creating art most of my life and am represented by four galleries. I also have six pieces in public art collections, including one in Sasebo, Japan.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I love where I live, which is right next to the Carson National Forest. I enjoy being outside hiking, working in the yard, or playing with my pets.
What galleries represent your work? Wilder Nightingale Fine Art, Taos, NM; La Mesa of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM; Romero Street Gallery, Albuquerque, NM; Jezebel Gallery, Madrid, NM; www.peggytrigg.com.
SUSIE BURCH
Susie Birch, Mexican Fire Barrel Cactus, watercolor, 18 x 24.
Where do you live and work? After living in Atlanta for most of my life, I now divide my time between a loft in downtown Athens, GA, and the community of Clarkesville in the magnificent North Georgia mountains. This allows me to take advantage of both the high energy of urban living and the quiet contemplation of country life.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I find joy in the simplicity of a flower, the quiet of a long country road, the nostalgia of an old bicycle left behind, as well as in people working, playing, or taking care of everyday tasks. Life is what we do, and that is what I wish to capture and preserve.
Where did you study art? I have studied painting through workshops and classes on a continual basis. I learned watercolor painting from Jill Saur, Tony Couch, and Charles Reid. And I spent nine years honing my skills in oil painting with Atlanta artist Chris diDomizio.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? I have shown my artwork in more than 150 exhibitions. My paintings are in private collections locally and nationally. However, my proudest art accomplishment happens each time I complete a painting that shares a little piece of my soul with my viewers.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Gardening, playing golf, and adventuring to places unknown to me.
What galleries represent your work? www.susieburch.com.
KIRSTEN KAINZ
Kirsten Kainz, Boss, found iron, 36 x 48 x 21.
Where do you live and work? In southwestern Montana, at the edge of a gorgeous open valley ringed by several mountain ranges.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? I make art—both sculptures and paintings—depicting grand landscapes or flora and fauna. I create things that remind us to enjoy, love, and respect the natural world.
How would you describe your style? My style is open and often irreverent. I work to keep things loose so that I can capture the feelings that come along with the subjects. I also like to keep humor and wit involved.
Where did you study art? I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts specializing in metalsmithing from Southern Illinois University. Part of my college years were spent studying at Curtin University in Western Australia.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? I love the moments when my works find their permanent homes. Being juried into shows and getting awards aways feels confirming. Public works are especially nice because they reach so many people, including those who don’t already have art in their lives.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? When I am not making art, I am at the helm of my family. I have four amazing girls, and we go skiing and ride dirt bikes. I also have a major tennis addiction. Tennis is where I am able to squeeze in a little “me” time.
What galleries represent your work? Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK; www.kirstenkainz.net.
NATALIE ITALIANO
Natalie Italiano, Hunter, oil, 24 x 18.
Where do you live and work? I live and have my studio in Collingswood, NJ, just outside of Philadelphia. I teach in Philadelphia at Studio Incamminati.
What are your favorite subjects to depict? People, especially portraits. I enjoy painting from life: figures, still life, florals, interiors, and plein-air landscapes.
How would you describe your style? Contemporary realism. My training is traditional realism working from life, with an emphasis on observing color as the effect of light. I love to look at my subject and simplify and abstract it, relating the large, simple information of the whole and building more specific information on top. This dynamic process keeps me engaged and excited.
Where did you study art? My greatest influence is my mentor, Nelson Shanks, with whom I apprenticed in my early years and continued studying with later in my career at Studio Incamminati. I also attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.
What is your proudest art accomplishment? I’m thrilled to have received top awards and signature status with the Portrait Society of America. But my absolute proudest moments are when a portrait I have painted creates a deep emotional impact for family members, and I know I have created something really meaningful.
When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Spending time with my family and friends, teaching, practicing yoga, biking, reading, or binge-watching a wonderful story.
What galleries represent your work? Rutledge Street Gallery, Camden, SC; www.natalieitaliano.com.
This story appeared in the October/November 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.