My art is born out of a strong belief in the inherent value of all living things and my innate desire to protect them. I am greatly inspired by the rural landscape, with a particular interest in the agricultural animals that appear ubiquitous among it. By painting what are essentially contemporary formal portraits, I am aiming to bring an honor to the lives of these animals which are so often seen as insignificant; portraiture as an act of reverence.

The paintings start with a visit to the animals, where I love getting to meet and photograph them and hear stories about their lives. Back in the studio, I begin each piece with a detailed drawing, and then apply oil paint layer upon layer, over the course of weeks or months. I have between ten and twenty works going at any given point, each in its own stage of completion. The elements of color and texture come together to create a visual narrative of a brief existence, allowing the personality of each subject to come through, so that we can see our own humanness reflected within it.

This is what drives my work, the concept of sameness. What I have experienced through years of interacting with animals tells me that they are not different than us. We are emotional beings, all of us, and there are a range of emotions and a deep intelligence in all living things. While we communicate differently, it’s clear that we all want the same thing; to live our life, protect our young, and be free from pain.

Elizabeth Kinahan received her Bachelors of Fine Art degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, New Jersey in 2004. The following year she packed up the car and headed west, in a move that would transform her creative process immensely. Although she had planned to move to Arizona, a stop in the town of Durango, Colorado became the beginning of an 18 year- and going- love affair with the high desert. Having known from a young age that her life needed to be lived in connection to the natural world, Elizabeth has found that need fulfilled in the mountains of the southwest. She currently spends her days painting with her two dogs in a cabin just outside of town, where she routinely gets visits from deer, turkeys, bears, fox and coyotes. She and her husband are regenerating the long neglected soil, growing a garden and orchard, and creating an edible food forest for wildlife and humans alike. Elizabeth’s art aims to add joy, beauty and compassion into the world, and serves to benefit organizations that rescue and protect both wild and domesticated animals.