“Downtown Snow” by Kirk McBride

I love paintings at night (nocturne) with a light on in a house or building. It just warms it right up. The tire tracks in the snow with the moonlight making it glow is wonderful. I think the dark, dark sky is the perfect compliment. Great work Kirk!

I like to check out different artists that I see are at different plein air events around the country, and I’m glad I did! Here’s a blip about Kirk from his website:

“Everything has a moment when light and shadow create something breathtaking to view.” Kirk McBride is constantly looking for those moments to inspire his oil paintings. He travels often and paints a variety of subjects from seascapes to mountains, from city scenes to landscapes, from foreign cafes to interiors of his own home and studio. The light and shadow relationship being the unifying theme that runs throughout his work.

Winning “Best in Show” at the first local art show he entered encouraged Kirk to make painting a lifelong pursuit. He’s been at it for over 30 years now, first part-time in watercolors, and since the late ’90’s, full-time in oils. He has been influenced by a number of painters from the past, including Edward Hopper, Edgar Paine, Emil Gruppe, Frederick Mulhaupt and the Russian Impressionists of the early 20th Century. Kirk graduated from the University of Maryland in 1974 and has studied with nationally recognized painter, and fellow surf industry veteran, Ken Auster.

Travels to Italy, Mexico, the Caribbean, Maine, Colorado and California provide a variety of images for Kirk’s paintings. Kirk often paints “plein air” (outdoors) and uses those small plein air paintings, along with sketches and snapshots as studies for his larger studio pieces. He has been elected an “Artist” member of the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association. Kirk has been juried into a number of plein air painting competitions and exhibitions where he has won awards. He has been invited to paint in the Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational three times, has been juried into Plein Air Easton three times and Paint Annapolis five times. His home and studio are on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Give his website a peek! Catch you back here tomorrow!