From West Coast to Midwest: Kira Mountjoy Oil Painting

Kira Mountjoy-Pepka’s hand shakes as she holds her paintbrush. She laughs and shakes her head, withdrawing her brush from her canvas and attempting to keep the paint from splattering a nearly-complete painting of two oversized green pears. “It’s an all-day cycle,” she says, referencing her neurological condition. “I try to get done what I can when I can.” Mountjoy-Pepka, 42, has been painting in oils since she was 16 years old and is an award-winning artist with pieces on permanent display in public and private collections around the country. She moved to Ohio from the West Coast during the pandemic while undergoing medical treatment and continues to paint even as she is mostly confined to bed. She finds it challenging to talk about her health, preferring to let her work do the talking for her. “Most of my work is pretty still lifes,” she said. “When you’re stuck indoors all day – if you’re really lucky – you learn to take delight in small things around you that maybe some people overlook. It’s a display of hard-won happiness that I’ve tried to capture.” Mountjoy-Pepka’s take on still lifes is remarkably fresh and contemporary – lucious yellow lemons with thick, painterly brushstrokes; sheer jars of olives in an effortless, alla prima style – but it is her series of works that showcase the ongoing challenge of living with disability that has been making waves, including a piece recently on display at the Toledo Museum of Art. In every piece of this series, a woman with wavy blonde hair – very similar to the artist – is alone and frequently in a drab white nightgown. “Treatment” shows a woman with a pained but determined face, while white lilies – a symbol of hope and rebirth – grow from gaping, empty sleeves which are missing their hands. “Barred” has a woman enclosed in a dark room, separated from the bright, sunny day outside. “I wish I could paint more outside,” Mountjoy-Pepka said. “My health makes it challenging, but I’m able to squeak out a few plein air pieces a year with the right conditions and set up.” The set-up often includes opening up the back of her SUV, spreading blankets and pillows, and working on a painting while lying down, generally over the course of several sessions. Whatever the process, the results are striking and well-received; this year she sold out of the entire print run of her plein air painting of Toledo’s Rosary Cathedral at a Toledo art fair. (Mountjoy-Pepka says they are now back in stock.) Mountjoy-Pepka has found unique opportunities living in Ohio. “Ohio’s a really nice place to be for artists,” Mountjoy-Pepka said. “It’s inexpensive, which can be a real plus for creatives, but it can be hard for sales.” That is why last year she opened The Vita at www.thevitagallery.com, an online-only gallery focused on getting art from talented creatives into the large, coastal cities she is from. “We keep overhead costs low with no brick and mortar storefront so we can maximize profits for our artists. It’s a nice project.” What’s next for Mountjoy-Pepka? She laughs again, a bit more ruefully. “My health is the focus, both for my personal life and in my creative life. But I enjoy promoting my talented friends and am looking forward to connecting with more artists in Ohio. I’m not able to get out as much as I’d like but I love meeting new people. Hit me up on socials!”   kiramp.com