Mary Ellen Kirkedahl

All my life I have painted, worked in ceramics, and taught art at all levels of age and experience. I have been blessed with a gift from our Lord Jesus Christ to have these opportunities, and all I want to do is to glorify Him.

I work from photographs to create my paintings, which has given me several options. First, I travel the Western United States, and see interesting buildings and landscapes. The morning and evening light is best to take a picture from because of the cast shadows, or a vibrant sky that will catch my eye. Second, the photograph is a tool for me to paint realistically. I have always had an eye for detail. 

The difference for me between painting in watercolor and oil painting, is watercolor is a quick process in that once the color is on the paper you cannot change it. With oil paint, I can build layers of paint or scrape off an area to make corrections. I think of watercolor as a drawing tool using color which is why some of my oil paintings began as a watercolor study.

The big challenge with oil painting, is keeping the painting fresh like you can with watercolor. The painting process is like anything in life, it takes time, dedication and perseverance to get it right!
I hope my paintings are seen in the years to come as a slice of time that was inspired by the Holy Spirit.



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