VANCE HALL KIRKLAND Mixed Media on Paper, Of Rock and Root Forms - A Rocky Mountain Abstraction

A vintage, crayon and ink sketch of a leaves in the Rocky Mountains by Colorado artist Vance Kirkland. Kirkland was born in Ohio and later settled in Denver, Colorado where he became a painter and educator. Early in his career, in 1929, he was hired to establish the art department of the University of Denver. His paintings display a wide range of styles from realist and impressionist, to surrealist or abstract expressionist images. He was an advocate of the inclusion modern art in Denver's public institutions. After his death, the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art in Denver was founded in his name at the site of his former studio. His work is part of many collections and public institutions including the Denver Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.