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So many of us women are afraid to be ourselves.

If you’re anything like me (hi 👋🏻), then I’m willing to bet that that somewhere along the way, you learned to believe that you need to be perfect. Meaning, you need to have it all together and keep everyone else happy, even (almost always) at the expense of yourself. You feel trapped. Lost. Like you might explode, even.

I’ve been there. And I can tell you—life doesn’t have to be this way.

I found freedom in painting. And while you may not be a painter, what I know is that painting has a lot to teach us—and I paint because it’s the thing that helps me overcome perfection and remember what it’s like to be myself.

My paintings (moody, expressive, acrylic) are inspired by the calm and freedom I find hiking in the woods and up mountains.

Painting reminds me of the metaphor of being able to wipe away any stray brushstroke. You can’t mess up. Or if you do, you can just start over.

Nothing is permanent—but you have to at least try and make some marks if you want to create anything worthwhile. Otherwise, all you’re left with is just fear and a blank, empty canvas.

Hiking reminds me that all worthy endeavors are the result of putting one foot in front of the other. It also reminds me to be like the trees and the flowers in the forest—standing tall, proud of your expression, not worrying about how you compare to those next to you.

My art and creative process sit at this intersection. I explore and allow my brushes and colors to flow like I hope you move through life—boldly, calmly, freely.

My paintings aren’t tight, careful, or worried. They’re not about mimicking or matching. They’re like you—born to stand out. I hope my art feels like the wind in your hair—and like light shining through tree leaves, I hope my paintings remind you to look up. I hope they show you how capable you are, and I hope they embolden you to always be true to yourself.

~

Interested in becoming a collector? The best way to connect with me and get first access to new artwork is to join my email newsletter. It’s full of inspiration and deeper stories, and I share new art there first. Or go here for available paintings.

Stand tall, my friends, and I hope to see my art in your home soon!

 

 “Stephanie's art is sprinkled throughout my home now. It reminds me to take a moment to breathe. Flow, move. Life is beautiful. Keep going.”

-Leslie

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THE ARTIST

Stephanie Kirkland

Abstract expressionist painter in Northport, AL

b. 1989

EXHIBITIONS

2023 Stephanie Kirkland x The Studio, Tuscaloosa, AL

2023 Spotlight on Art, The Trinity School, Atlanta, GA

2022 Stephanie Kirkland x The Wine Market, Tuscaloosa, AL

2021 West Alabama Juried Show, Cultural Arts Center Gallery, Tuscaloosa, AL

2021 Stephanie Kirkland x Sage, Tuscaloosa, AL

2021 8x8 Art Show, Tuscaloosa, AL

2021 Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Fairhope, AL

2020 Windswept: Abstract Landscapes, Arts Council Gallery, Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, Tuscaloosa, AL

2020 Monte Sano Art Festival, Huntsville, AL

2020 Stephanie Kirkland x Sydney Gruber, Session, Tuscaloosa, AL

2020  My Heart Through Art, Liz Lane Gallery, Homewood, AL

2019 8x8 Art Show with O’Connor Art Studios, Tuscaloosa, AL

2019 Handmade Art Show, Homewood, AL

2019 Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover, AL

2019 Birmingham Artwalk, Birmingham, AL

2019  My Heart Through Art, Liz Lane Gallery, Homewood, AL

2018 8x8 Art Show with O’Connor Art Studios, Tuscaloosa, AL

2018  West Alabama Juried Show, Cultural Arts Center Gallery, Tuscaloosa, AL

2018  Bluff Park Art Show, Hoover, AL

2018  Water of Alabama, PaperWorkers Local, Birmingham, AL

2018  Paper/Work, Salmon Library Gallery, Huntsville, AL

 

NOTABLE HIKES

2024  Everest Base Camp, Nepal (October)

2024  Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina

2023  Cloudland Canyon State Park, Northwest Georgia

2023  Huron Peak, Sawatch Range, Buena Vista, Colorado

2023 Paris Mountain State Park, Greenville, South Carolina

2023  Chihuahuan Desert, Marfa, Texas

2023  Sipsey Wilderness, Northwest Alabama

2022  Walls of Jericho, Northeast Alabama

2022  Sipsey Wilderness, Northwest Alabama

2022  Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

2022  Piestewa Peak, Phoenix Mountains, Scottsdale, Arizona

2021  Sipsey Wilderness, Northwest Alabama

2021  Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

2021  Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

2021  Sipsey Wilderness, Northwest Alabama

2020  Desoto State Park, Fort Payne, Alabama

2020  Zion National Park, Utah

2020  Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

2019 Banff National Park, Calgary, Canada

2019  Glacier National Park, Montana

2018  French Alps, Chamonix, France

2018  Calanques National Park, Cassis, France

2016  Mount LeConte, Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

2016  Cloudland Canyon State Park, Northwest Georgia

2015  Cheaha State Park, East Alabama

2014  Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne, Alabama

2011  Desoto State Park, Fort Payne, Alabama

2011  Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne, Alabama

 

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art—Painting and Drawing, The University of Alabama, 2012

PRESS

2024, March AAA Explorer

2024, January Bold Journey

2023, December Canvas Rebel

2023, July Arts to Hearts Magazine

2023, February In Her Studio Magazine

2021, October Authority Magazine

2020, March The Avid Pen

2020, March The Tuscaloosa News

2019, November Hoover's Magazine

RETAILERS

Kathleen’s Interiors, Decatur, AL

Lampadas Living, Tuscaloosa, AL

RESIDENCIES & RETREATS

2024 South Porch Artists Residency, Summerville, SC (November)

2022 Artist Retreat, Paris, France

2022 Artist Retreat, Scottsdale, AZ

 

From My Collectors

My Paintings Evoke

GESTURE

GRIT

PERMISSION

MOVEMENT

WISDOM

CALM

FREEDOM

 
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