Debra Keirce, Fine Artist

2012-01-29T08:39:00.001-05:00

Anybody interested in learning more about miniature fine art? Consider joining a yahoo group forum.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miniatureart/

Amount Purchased

2012-01-26T17:12:00.004-05:00

"Amount Purchased" is Casein on True Gesso Board, 4.5"x3"

I had to scratch an itch. I wanted to paint another piece in casein, and I wanted to do something with a minimized background, like the hyper realists do, and I wanted to use a limited color palette. So many of my pieces are bright, bold colors. I just wanted to take a little break. So, I did.

2012-01-12T08:38:00.001-05:00

"Good News" is 4" x 5" Casein on watercolor paper

My oldest son is going to college at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. When I saw these news dispensers all lined up like sentinels there, I just knew I had to paint them!

Right now I am packing for a trip to FL to the Miniature Art Society show in Dunedin Art Center this weekend. Then, I need to ship work to the Sulphur Springs Valley International Miniature show in Wilcox, AZ, and The Customs House Museum in TN. Then, it's time to prepare for the Mariposa, CA and Mobile AL shows. And you can never start too early, worrying about the World Federation show in Russia....The fun never ends! :)

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T17:28:00.002-05:00

"Leave It Alone", 7"x9" Acrylic on Museum Board

This was an image that burned itself into reality... It was burning in my mind's eye all during the leaf changing season this year, and I just had to paint it. I wanted to paint a very graphic piece - hyper realistic, but a composition of form and color that is so realistic, it's almost abstract..... Geesh! I sound like an artist! :)

Sticky Situation

2011-12-14T19:35:00.001-05:00

"Sticky Situation" is 4"x5" Acrylic on clayboard

I've been wanting to paint gumballs for awhile now. It is a sort of classic subject in hyper realism, and I love the color, repetition, and just the emotions it evokes. It was the best part of grocery shopping if you asked my kids when they were little!

And here's my latest...

2011-12-03T17:16:00.001-05:00

"Horsing Around" is Oil on Ivorine and fits in your palm.

Fall Show Winners

2011-12-03T17:12:00.001-05:00

There are more!! Am I blessed, or what?!

"Patriot" took 2nd place at The Mondak Heritage Center Miniature Show!

"Date Night" took 1st in Acrylic at Miniature Art Society of Florida!

"Pez" took 3rd place at The Mondak Heritage Center Miniature Show!

Busy Autumn!

2011-10-25T19:44:00.001-04:00

"Pick Me!" is my latest palm sized acrylic painting.

"Skeeball Anyone?"

"Thirsty" was awarded an honorable mention in the prestigious Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society exhibition of Washington, D.C. I am so honored!! I painted this still life while looking through a magnifying glass. That's why the bottles are asymetrical. As miniature painters, we always have a magnifyer on our person.

Summer Paintings

2011-09-23T09:32:00.002-04:00

Hyper realism in miniature...

Like most artists, I have had a busy summer, painting pieces for the fall show lineup... Here are some of my latest pieces. All of them fit in your palm!

"Casino" is Oil on Dura Lar Film

"Date Night" is Acrylic on Dura Lar Film

"Feng Shui" is Acrylic on Bristol Vellum

"I Scream" is Acrylic on Dura Lar Film

"Sweetly" is Acrylic on Dura Lar Film

I hope you all have had a fun and productive summer. Post a comment and let me know what YOU have been up to!!

Pez

2011-06-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

"Pez" is a 5"x7" Acrylic and pencil painting on paper

A friend of mine challenged me to paint this. Now I have to figure out something that will drive HER batty! :)

Strummin'

2011-06-08T08:49:00.000-04:00

"Strummin'" is an 8"x10" acrylic and pencil painting on Bristol Vellum

Offered framed, at $200

I tried to play guitar for a few years as a teenager. My inability to sing along eventually squelched that dream. But I still love the look, smell, feel of classic folk guitars. So when I saw this display in a local music store, it just drew me in...now let's see.... IF I were a talented guitarist, which one would I choose to play today?

Big Shots

2011-05-13T14:16:00.000-04:00

3.25"x2.25" acrylic, pencil on illustration board

Forgive me if this posts twice. I know it was here this morning, because people have commented on it. But poof...It was gone a moment ago.... The blogspot gremlins have been busy. Anyway, this is my latest miniature painting.

Ladies in Waiting

2011-05-01T17:32:00.002-04:00

"Ladies in Waiting" is 2" x 3" acrylic and pencil on Bristol, sold framed.

It's prom season! Our son who is a senior just borrowed my car to ask a girl to go. She said yes. So, he came straight home and asked me for some money...$70 each for the tickets, money for flowers, dinner and a limo, the after party, etc., etc. Shouldn't there be another option? A less expensive option? I DO want him to have fun, but why does fun have to cost so much?

Car Wash

2011-02-05T14:22:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Lynn Ponto-Peterson, I found a great car wash! Of course, I haven't washed my car since June. But if I did, this is where I'd want to do it.

"Car Wash" is 3"x4" Acrylic and Pencil on watercolor board

Google Art Project

2011-02-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

I've been painting like the crazy woman I am lately - answering the door and attending meetings with paint in my hair and under my fingernails. But I've been working on a few commissions that I don't want to post - at least not until I'm sure they are delivered, and gifted to their final recipients.

I did come across something I thought was worth sharing with you all though. You know how Google has those really cool virtual street maps with the little man you can walk through streets all over the world? Well now they have virtual art galleries we can visit online. So grab a cup of coffee and click here!

http://www.googleartproject.com/

Lynn's World

2011-01-17T21:02:00.008-05:00

"Lynn's World" is 3.25"x5" Acrylic and Pencil on BristoVellum

A friend thought of me when she saw these canoes. It was a thrilling moment for me. I have a style that evokes thoughts of me when people see certain images? How cool is THAT? Bold colors and repetition in shapes that have a geometric quality. These are all the characteristics I've been incorporating into my paintings of collections, and I'm so excited that it's working! Thank you Lynn!

Madison Avenue

2010-12-30T12:38:00.002-05:00

New York City is one of the best places for plein air, methinks!

"Madison Avenue" is 6"x12" acrylic and pencil on artboard in a floating frame

Temptations

2010-12-29T22:53:00.001-05:00

I've been bad....really bad. I was tempted. I caved. With all the holiday goodies still being consumed, I personally believe you are what you eat, and I feel like a giant chocolate bar. Must...return...to....vegan....low carb.....living!

"Temptations" is 2.5"x3.5" acrylic and pencil on vellum

Iconic

2010-12-25T13:06:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas bloggers!! I finished up a commission today. It isn't due until later, but it was nice to complete it. It's very similar to a painting I did previously - an arrangement of several statues from the Asian collection at Walters Museum in Baltimore.

4" x 5" acrylic and pencil on vellum

Balancing Act

2010-12-20T19:49:00.002-05:00

11"x14" gallery wrapped canvas, 1 3/8" deep

Acrylic and pencil

Especially this time of year, I think we all can to relate to what a balancing act it is - trying to enjoy all the indulgences of the holidays, but trying not to regret it come the new year!

Lest Y'All think I've been slackin'!

2010-12-05T17:37:00.012-05:00

I hope you are all having an amazing holiday season! I sure am, filled with lots of fun activities, and also typical life time stealing events like my daughter's broken ankle, flat tires, etc. BUT, I have been painting daily - even if I don't always get a chance to post it. Here are some of my most recent pieces:

"Periodically" is 2.5"x3.5" acrylic and pencil on vellum

"Taste of Color" is 8"x10" and it is acrylic and pencil on vellum. There is a little m on each of the m & m's in each of the bottles!

5th Wheel

2010-10-26T21:08:00.003-04:00

I bought a Canon Rebel T1i camera. This elevated me to near stardom at the photo store. Apparently, photography gurus drool for this camera. I just want to take prettier photos of my work. But I can see how this could be a VERY expensive hobby - the kind that sucks you right in! Here are a scan of my latest work, and a photo I took of it framed. The original is 2"x3". I'm loving that I have so much resolution in the photographed piece. I can enlarge it and it doesn't get grainy!

YES!!!

2010-10-21T15:46:00.000-04:00

Exciting news in the mail today! The Miniature Painters, Sculptors, Gravers Society of Washington D.C. has awarded me a cash prize (LOVE those!) for 3rd place in the Oils/Acrylics category for my painting "101 Eyes." I guess now I will need to get fitted for a designer smock and attend the opening awards luncheon on Nov. 21!

River Rides

2010-10-13T06:41:00.000-04:00

"River Rides" is 3"x5" Acrylic and Pencil on Vellum

I like to kayak. I thought about buying one. I think I'll get a nice camera instead, but there they are, all lined up waiting for me, just in case I change my mind.

Hilliard Society Featured Artist

2010-10-11T13:45:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to report that I am the featured artist on The Hilliard Society's website!

http://www.art-in-miniature.org/artist.htm

What an honor...Members of the Hilliard Society are some of my favorite miniature artists. I'm tickled pink to have my work and bio on the same pages with theirs!

Christmas Politics

2010-10-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

"Christmas Politics" is 3.5"x5", and it is acrylic on vellum

Okay, I'm working hard at it, but I'm starting to give up summer and think toward the autumn weather and holiday events. For some reason, I just didn't want to let August go this year.

The World Federation of Miniaturists

2010-10-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

I just found out that I am one of the featured artists on The World Federation of Miniaturists' new website. What an honor! I just have to figure out how to add more recent work to my gallery on their site.

http://www.worldfm.org/featured-artists/

DEBRA KEIRCE

Debra Keirce

For over three decades now Debra has been drawing and painting. She subsidized her art career with fifteen years as a biochemical design engineer, building biotech pharmaceutical facilities. Since then Debra has rendered a wide variety of subjects painting pets, portraits, architecture and wildlife. She enjoys using mixed media using a combination of acrylic or gouache, coloured pencil and artist’s pens to create realistic works. With a passion for miniature art she works mostly in small formats but has also created several murals. She works under magnifiers for her miniature work which has become more detailed over the years.

For further details visit Debra’s website at www.DebKArt.com or email DebraKeirceArt@yahoo.com.

Debra’s Gallery

NYC

2010-09-23T13:49:00.001-04:00

Been swamped with work lately - much of which will be awhile before it's completed. Here's something I can post though...It's acrylic paint on Grafix Wet Media Dura-Lar. Unlike acetate, the paint actually adheres to this very smooth product. This was a painting I did for a training video that Grafix Arts is doing with Dick Blick. I plan to use the wet media film for miniature paintings in the future. Its glass-like surface is so unique...It's like painting on glass, but the paint doesn't bead up and repel like it does on glass.

Nutty

2010-09-15T10:26:00.000-04:00

"Nutty" is 4"x6" Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Grafix Dura-Lar Film

Getting in that holiday mood...

Mum's the Word

2010-08-23T01:52:00.000-04:00


"Mum's the Word" is 4.5"x6" Mixed Media on Bristol Vellum

Our local Harris Teeter Grocery store is ready for autumn, with their mums in the floral displays, their "back-to-school" displays, and their fall planting guides. I'm not. I'm not ready at all.

Wings

2010-08-21T07:09:00.000-04:00

3.5"x3.5" Acrylic on Clayboard

The concept for this work came to mind in the dark halls of The Natural History Museum in New York City a few weeks ago. Even in death, butterflies will be beautiful works of art for generations to come. We can't all say that.

Hot Wheels

2010-08-17T16:29:00.000-04:00

3.5"x5" Acrylic on Ivorine

I remember my younger brother entertaining himself for hours with Hot Wheels vehicles. "Speed Racer" was his favorite show. I think growing up in Detroit had something to do with all this. Anyway, painting this piece I was reminded of what beautiful work auto designers do. There is such purity in the line and form of each car design...EXCEPT for the PT Cruiser. Sorry to my in-laws, but that is just one ugly form of transportation!

Ancients

2010-08-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

4"x5" Mixed Media on Clayboard

I was at an art critique the other day, where a juror was talking about how you don't always need to have contrast, and you should try to hide as much color in your paintings as possible. So with this piece, I went against my usual bias to create heavy contrasts and limit the palette to a few bright, bold colors. It was a fun excursion. These are pieces from The Walters Museum in Baltimore, MD.

Thirsty

2010-07-28T19:17:00.002-04:00

"Thirsty" 4"x5" Oil on Bristol Vellum

When it's so hot in the summer (and we've had a VERY hot summer here in VA!) it's funny - I don't feel like drinking wine much. So instead, I find myself attending wine tastings, visiting wineries, going to the wine bistro for just a sample. Maybe it's my background as a design engineer where I was always around fermentation equipment...I don't know. But I DO enjoy being around wine and cheese and the vineyards that serve them, and this was a fun piece to paint. The labels are all slightly altered from local (Loudoun County) wineries I've enjoyed visiting.

See how the bottles on the outside edges are assymetrical? I tried to make it look like you were viewing this through a magnifying glass.

If you are wondering why I used oils instead of acrylics - I couldn't take it anymore. It's so dang hot here in my studio I had to turn the fans on. and when the fans are on, the acrylic paints dry out on the brush before they reach my easel!

Temptations

2010-07-24T07:40:00.000-04:00

"Temptations" is 2.5"x3.5" mixed media on drafting film

It's been a long time since I've had a candy bar. But that doesn't mean I don't notice them every time I am in line at a grocery store. And some days, when I'm losing the battle of the bulge despite herculean efforts to work out more than Jillian Michaels, I just want to give up - throw in the towel - succumb to temptations. Well, today, I painted the temptations instead of eating them. Score one for the good guys! :)

Organics

2010-07-21T11:27:00.003-04:00

I finished the last of the five pieces I intend to enter into the Royal Miniature Society exhibition. Now to start working on the MPSGS and MASF pieces!

"Organics" is 4"x5" mixed media on true gesso

James and Ridley

2010-07-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

I recently finished two pieces. This one is a 3.5"x5.5" mixed media piece on clayboard. It's one of my husband's many shelves of books. (Yes, he's read them all...several times.)

And this next piece is an 8"x10" mixed media painting of The Inn at Little Washington. It was commissioned for someone who has many fine dining memories at the inn.

The Hots

2010-07-06T12:04:00.000-04:00

The Hots is now complete - 4" square acrylic and colored pencil on clayboard.

Next up --- Books, lots and lots of books!

101 Eyes

2010-06-12T16:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not so sure my TWO eyes are happy with me, but the rest of me had fun painting these 101 eyes. I think this might be the teeniest, tiniest subject I've ever attempted in multiples.

2.5"x3.5" acrylic on drafting film

Festival

2010-05-25T11:44:00.002-04:00

The Festival is complete, scanned, and the image is being sent off along with a few others for jury into the Oatlands Four Season Art Show and Sale. This is a view of Market Street in downtown Leesburg, part of the Hallowed ground along the Route 15 corridor. HallowedGround.org

Fallen Regime Complete

2010-05-06T13:42:00.002-04:00

4"x6" Acrylic on Drafting Film, framed

Stuffed - Complete!

2010-04-13T18:05:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is! Now to work on a second piece I hope to finish up in time to ship out to the Parklane Miniature Show along with it!

Stuffed is 3"x4.5" acrylic on drafting film

Jewels....Finished!

2010-03-26T19:33:00.000-04:00

I finished all the little bottles! I think creating this piece cemented something for me that I've been contemplating for awhile now. I've been trying to figure out my "niche." Sam's got his cows, Leola has her storms, Gayle has horses, Akiko has portraits, Mona has portraits AND florals....I think my "niche" is going to be painting collections of detailed individual items, like bottles, like fish, like the ballerina troop, like the bricks on my architectural pieces. The compositions I enjoy creating the most are the ones where you can break the subject down into a bunch of individual pieces, and down to individual details, and then rebuild it all into a solid, larger composition.

"Jewels" is 3"x5" acrylic on drafting film

3rd in Best of Show at Spanish Moss Miniature Exhibition!

2010-02-08T20:06:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to share that I have won my very first cash award in a miniature art exhibition! My "Mother Hen", a 4"x4" acrylic painting on clayboard, took 3rd place at the Spanish Moss Miniature Art Exhibit. It's at the Southern Gallery in Mobile, AL.

Patriot

2009-09-17T23:04:00.003-04:00

"The Patriot" is 3.75" x 5"

This is one of the pieces I finished for the PA miniature art show. I actually photographed this when I was out for a walk the other day. Even in these times of so much political debate, I'm noticing more and more homeowners are installing American flags. Maybe that's WHY there is so much debate. We are all so passionate about our wonderful country.

Black and White

2009-09-12T20:42:00.005-04:00

"Black and White"

After a busy day today, this was a fun piece to come home and complete. It is one of those paintings I really looked forward to doing. It's for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes blog challenge. But I did this on a postcard sized piece of Bristol, and I plan to enter it into the postcard art show at The Elder Street Gallery. Also, as I was creating it, I started getting thoughtful about how I can also use it for the Embracing Differences contest. This is a billboard outdoor art show in Florida that celebrates diversity. I'm thinking deep thoughts, like black, white, yellow - whatever color cake we are made of, we all have beautiful sprinkles, and we all cast dark shadows in the right light, but we're also beautiful, tasty, tempting. Yep, I think I'll have to enter that one too!

Now, back to the painstaking world of miniature art, where I'm working on a winery scene.

Smoky

2009-09-07T09:12:00.005-04:00

This is the finished painting. I've started work on the second for that show. (It's also my Following the Masters entry for this month.) A few folks have asked me which shows I'm working to enter. Since I've disappeared into my cave to paint, people are interested in either visiting those shows or entering them as well. So, I thought I'd list my itinerary here. This is my goal - to participate fully in each of these. I also have a commission I'm working on, and I plan to be at Hidden Brook Winery on Nov. 14 for a table fair, and Doukenie Winery on Nov. 21 for a table fair. So my goals may be a bit unrealistic....We'll see!

40th Bluemont Fair
E.E. Lake Store
33846 Snickersville Turnpike
Bluemont, VA 20135
Judged
Sept 19 - 20

66th Anniversary Waterford Homes Tour & crafts Exhibit
Red Barn Exhibit: Judged
Art Mart: Open, proceeds benefit The Waterford Foundation
Corner of Second and Main Streets
Waterford, VA
540-882-3018
Judged
Oct 2 - Oct 4
10am - 5pm

Art at the Mill
Clarke County Historical Association
Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood
15 Tannery Lane
BOYCE, VA
540-955-2600
Juried, Judged
Oct. 3 - Oct 18
M - F noon - 5pm
Sat 10am - 6pm

1st annual Little Washington Minatures Painting Exhibition 2009
Ice house Gallery
291-B Main Street
Washington, VA 22747
540-675-3039
Juried, Judged
Oct 2 - Oct 26

26th Annual North American Miniature Art Exhibition
The Art Gallery of Fells Point
1716 Thames Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
410-327-1272
Judged
Sept 29 - Oct 31

Elder Street Gallery: Postcard Art Show
(Proceeds benefit English Speaking Union Houston Branch - Shakespeare Competition)
1101 Elder Street, Suite 109
Houston, TX 77007
281-250-4889
Judged
October 2009

25th Annual Exhibition: Miniature Art 2009 Council For the Arts
159 South Main Street
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-264-6883
Juried, Judged
Nov. 5-Jan. 9
T-F 11am-5pm
Sat 11am-4pm

2009 Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington D.C. (MPSGS)
The Mansion at Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD 20852
301-530-0540
Juried, Judged
Nov 22 - Jan 2

15th Annual Gateway to the Rockies Art Exhibit
Auraora Artists Guild
303-338-1243
Aurora History Museum
15051 E. Alameda Pkwy.
Aurora, CO 80012
Judged
Nov 13 - Dec 19

35th Annual International Miniature Art Show
Miniature Art Society of Florida
727-584-3883
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
Tarpon Springs, FL
Juried, Judged
Jan 17 - Feb 7

Friends - IF Magnify

2009-08-27T16:18:00.005-04:00

I created it using colored pencils on drafting film, accented with acrylic paints.

Fleurs

2009-05-18T06:41:00.003-04:00

"Fleurs"
9"x12"

Choices - Life is full of them. Often, we make a choice and don't really know if it was the "right one." Sometimes even the seemingly insignificant choices can change the path of our lives.

The Virtual Paintout challenge this month is Paris. I chose the address 4 Rue d'Aguesseau. I've never been there, but it sure looked like a nice place to visit.

I liked all the choices depicted in this scene. Which flower to choose?...The mums that stay fresh longer, or the delicate tulips that fade so quickly? Grandma's favorite, or the one YOU like best... Which direction to walk? Cross the street to go home, or down the road to keep shopping?... Whether to descend the stairs to the mass transit system that can take you anyplace in the city.

I hope all your choices today are the right ones!

Para Ti

2009-03-11T17:40:00.000-04:00

Click here to see the listing!

Well, I painted a cat with a rose and called it "Pour Vous" so it made sense to paint a puppy with a rosebud and call it "Para Ti." I'm not sure what the next one should be - maybe a songbird in a rosebush, with a German title?? I'll think on it some more.

~-~

We have so many golden labs, and a golden retriever puppy who live on our street. This image resembles them all. It is painted in honor of goldens everywhere!

Pour Vous

2009-02-17T16:24:00.001-05:00

"Pour Vous" is a 4" x 6" Original

Think Spring! Think flowers! Think the season of amoire! Think French! That's how "Pour Vous" came to be.
.
Now the only question is, who will this cuddly kitty give the rose to? Is this the feline re-enactment of "The Bachelor?" Or maybe he just took it away from the mouse he's about to "play" with? Perhaps he's trying out for the part of Monsieur Robin Hood in Shrek...No, Puss in Boots would be better casting. You decide!