Statement:
”Painting in mixed media, I clear my mind of any preconceptions as to subject matter.  I manipulate the paint and paper to arrive at unexpected shapes and colors from which my composition evolves.
Each new painting is a fresh adventure into uncharted territory, allowing accidents to happen and then finding solutions.  I find this mentally stimulating and far more of a challenge than simply painting a preconceived idea.
I begin painting with intuitive and spontaneous abstract forms that gradually develop toward nature.  As the painting proceeds, an image evokes ideas, memories and associations.”

-Lois Kirkwood

Lois was smart, independent, artistic, funny, loving, and wise and with so much perseverance.

Lois was born in Spokane, WA, April 26th, 1932, to Olin and Dora James and was raised in Davenport, WA, on the James’s wheat and cattle farm. Lois was the youngest of three daughters and the girls were expected to help with chores on the farm. Lois preferred working outdoors with her father when she could and there weren’t many farming chores she didn’t and couldn’t do. She graduated as salutatorian from Davenport High School in 1950. Lois stayed in close contact with her high school friends through the monthly “Birthday Club” luncheon until just a few years ago.

Lois married her high school sweetheart Gerald (Jerry) Kirkwood, September 12, 1951. She helped her father vaccinate cattle the morning of her wedding. Her beautiful wedding dress hid a big bruise on her leg from a wayward hoof. Their married life began in Davenport, then taking them to Othello and Clarkston and finally Spokane where they lived for the last 53 years. They had three children, Cinda, Calla, and Steve. Lois and Jerry celebrated their 70th anniversary together in 2021 prior to Jerry’s death in May 2022.

Lois was a professional artist and innovator who crafted a successful career for herself through years of studying, experimenting, and teaching. She used oil, watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media to create her paintings. Her paintings were filled with texture and layers, like her life, and her art was saturated with color. In describing her work, she said, “Each new painting is a fresh adventure in uncharted territory, allowing accidents to happen and then finding solutions.”

At 90 years of age, Lois was still not a quiet, retiring grandma. Lois was a strong, funny, brightly dressed and bejeweled woman, a voracious reader, and a talented and descriptive writer. She was a lifelong learner, and always open to new people, new foods, new places and new experiences. She embraced every adventure and leaned into the unexpected. She loved to travel, with her sketchbook in hand while looking for inspiration for her next painting. Lois also loved to entertain. She was a gracious hostess and a wonderful cook, always setting a beautiful table and designing delicious and creative menus. Her parties were legendary. Her family and many friends benefited from her warm energy and loved her dearly.