AWARD WINNERS
Kirk was the Grand Prize winner of International Artist magazine’s Challenge No. 108, Landscapes.
Troels Kirk, born in Demark in 1956 and settled in Sweden 10 years ago, is a self-taught artist who started by studying his grandfather’s paintings as a child. “He died when I was a baby, but his landscapes were great teachers when studied closely,” says the artist, who sold his first painting at age 13.
He describes his style as realistic and rich in details, but not photorealistic or impressionistic. Rather, the artwork is a representation of how he perceives the surrounding world. “I began painting at 6, so there has been a very long development,” he shares. “Still,
I have always painted realistically but tend to spend a longer and longer time on each painting the older I get, not necessarily because of more details, but rather because of being more careful and precise throughout the process. My colors have become more subdued and natural with age too.”
Nature is Kirk’s constant source of inspiration, and when the light is just right—usually the early morning is his preferred time of day—he leaves his studio to hunt for subject matter. “These outings are essential for keeping the focus and renewing the inspiration.
I revisit many areas at different times of the year, building a rich source of memories and references for future use. What I later choose to paint depends on my mood at the time…often I paint what I miss or long for, snow in summer, greens in winter. If I feel stuck in a particular theme, I change subjects.”
His landscapes are derived from a number of references: sketching from memory, other times fictional scenes and sometimes photographs. Once in the studio, Kirk makes sketches where he rearranges and edits the landscapes into harmonious compositions.
Among his compositions is The Bonsai, which features an ancient oak tree that fits the classic Bonsai tree composition. Of the work, Kirk explains, “[It] managed to survive without most of the bark and many branches lost. For me they are the finest jewels among trees, displaying the wear and tear of centuries of storms, icy winters and hot summers.”
Another tree painting is Tall Pines, which the artist describes as a family portrait because of the trio of trees standing together. In a different landscape, The Waterfall, Mörrum, Kirk focuses on a river he visited countless times in his youth for salmon and sea trout fishing. “It runs through beautiful forests, not far from where I live now,” he shares. “This year’s very dry summer has reduced the flow, revealing the dark rock formations beneath the rapids. Bad for the river, good for a painter.”
Kirk also does paintings of older structures, some have been long abandoned and others are still in use. For instance, in The Starch Factory, Kirk painted a rundown building in his village. “Somehow its empty shell tells the story of the hard work and poverty of this formerly poor region of Sweden,” he remarks. In The Forest Sawmill he explores the other end of the spectrum. A farm he found deep in the forest still maintained the working sawmill he depicted in the painting.
For the past decade Kirk has exhibited his work in his large studio gallery that is located in a former movie theater hall. His main exhibition each year is the Easter Art Tour, where art patrons can visit open studios and galleries throughout the south of Sweden.