Artist Profile: Connie Kirk

Connie Kirk has been creating art with texture, form and color for as long as she can remember. “When I was a young girl, it was crayons, colored pencils and making paper dolls on rainy days with my mom and grandmother.” As Kirk got older she enjoyed art projects in school. On family camping trips, she recalls making something she affectionately calls nature sculptures.

“I guess that my love of specific artist’s works developed from my high school years. I longed to paint like many of the painting masters of Europe,” says Kirk. She began her formal art education at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1970.

While taking a break from painting, Kirk dabbled in bead-work, wool spinning, weaving, color dying and leather-work. She resumed painting again in the 1990's and began taking art classes at local colleges. “I was tutored by some wonderfully- talented artists,” Kirk says.

In 1996, Kirk was introduced to plein air painting and thrived as an artist. “It is always a feast to behold the grandeur and the colors and composition of nature,” explains Kirk. “I loved the challenge that Mother Nature placed before my eyes.” She takes inspiration from her favorite places and has mastered painting urban scenes.

Kirk works in oil paint and acrylic and has successfully exhibited her paintings in the Bay Area and around the country over the past 14 years. Her work has also been shown in the Florence Biennale in Italy. As a member of Arts Benicia, Kirk has participated in Benicia exhibitions for several years.

Aside from painting, Kirk owns and operates a interior design studio in Marin serving commercial and private properties.