Mixed Media Paintings + Collage

Free of the Gilded Cage, 2022 15x30, The Journey is Long and Hard, 2022 15x30 DIPTYCH
"How many women have traded independence for the gilded cage of security? And how many men can afford to let their true feelings flower and grow? There is no greater glory or humility to be found than in our shared human condition." ~ Amy Kitchin
AVAILABLE at The RICHARD STRAVITZ GALLERY

Race, 24x30, 2020 "He wears the flag as a headband to hold back hair comprised of rolled up dictionary pages...pages filled with words we use to label, codify, shun and accept one another. The barest outline of structures grow up from his head...we build the institutions that either set us free or keep us imprisoned. We see pride, forbearance, patriotism and strength"~ Amy Kitchin Words matter, art matters.

"Race, 3" 2022 12x16

The Teaching of the Heart, 2021 24x24. Mixed Media Painting. "Love gives us the connection, direction, security and self-worth we all desire. It protects us from the harsh realities of this beautiful mess of a world. Within the context of gazing inward, it provides a foundation for looking outward fearlessly. As we come together in relationships, what do we turn our back on to form secure, sacred bonds of love and respect?"~
Amy Kitchin, Stravitz Gallery. AVAILABLE FROM The RICHARD STRAVITZ GALLERY

"Culture and Pride" 2021 24x36 "What generational history is imprinted on your flesh and do you consider it part of your strength and beauty or something that should be covered up like a shameful tattoo. Finally, what beats in your darkest depths- a clenched fist raised in protest or hands wrapped together in solidarity?" Amy Kitchin, Richard Stravitz Gallery

Girl with the Pearl Earring, 24x36, Painting, 2020 This mixed media painting of the girl with the pearl earring is a modern interpretation of Vermeer's painting of the same name. She is a beautiful young black woman with dreadlocks in a white bikini bra top.

Unwavering Will, 2022 15x30 Photos of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman top her golden crown. Since slavery was abolished, multi-generational racism has continued to cause harm and trauma to people of color.

"Their Unresolved Past", 30x40 Painting, 2020 Their Unresolved Past is about how black people continued to suffer after Emancipation. They wore their physical and emotional scars of terror and subjugation. Vintage tin type portraits at the lower right of her dress suggest a male biological relationship to the woman, with one green eye. With pen in hand she looks to rewrite her history.

Adding texture to the white surface of the canvas, then distressing with X-acto knives and nails is symbolic of the physical and emotional distress inflicted on black people. In developing a visual narrative, my paintings give a voice to generations of people who have been a part of systematic racism.
My paintings are influenced by my deep respect for the artworks by Betye Saar, Romare Bearden and Deborah Roberts.

"Life as a Labyrinth" 2022, 24x24
"The effect of a labyrinth is that you are walking a path that at times brings you closer to the center, while other times the path moves you further away"

Daily Ritual; Putting on the Warrior Face

Change Comes Slowly, 16x20, 2020 Change Comes Slowly is a mixed media painting about racism yesterday and today. White America inflicting their values and instituting laws that do not allow black people to succeed.

The vintage tintype of 4 men suggests a common goal of twiddling their hands when it comes to racial equality. The zipper represents an open and closed mind to protect her soul. The white paint that surrounds her portrait is textured and distressed , emblematic of the way she navigates in white society.

Heading Down the Rabbit Hole, 2022 36x48 Mixed Media Painting

Race II, 16x20, 2021, This painting is about race and how children navigate their lives with others. I represent "Race" with a print of a vintage car race. This digital vintage school photo from 1910 shows 2 young black girls, dressed up for their class photo, they have proud expressions, while the other children display dour looks. In the lower part of the woman's black dress is a dark photo of children's shoes ( from another vintage class photo, subtle inference how she carries school experience with her through life.)

Fuel the Revolution, Reworked 2021-2022, 20x28

Captive of Her Beliefs, 24x36, ©2021 , She holds fast to her spiritual journey as she navigates her life. She carries the hopes, dreams and burdens of her ancestors. The painting is about women having the strength to go through the day. No matter what comes her way, she is filled with light, grace and gratitude - she is resilient.

Overriding Obstacles, 2022 11x14

Dreams + Truths, 2021, 20x24 Dreams + Truths is a painting about Resilience.
"Something we can all agree on is the need for connection, direction, security and self-worth. The unspoken agreements that maintain the bonds between us which confer these gifts are fragile benedictions not easily maintained."~ Amy Kitchin
AVAILABLE FROM The RICHARD STRAVITZ GALLERY

"Daisy Chains and Promises" 2022 15x30

"Presence and Possibilities", 20x24, 2021 Taking the time to look within and find peace with your journey brings resilience.

Scratching the Surface, 22x28, 2020 "Scratching the Surface is a mixed media painting about race in America. The white surrounding surface has been scratched out to get below the surface of racism in White America. Adding texture to the surface of the canvas, then distressing with X-acto knives and nails is symbolic of the physical and emotional distress inflicted on black people. In developing a visual narrative, my paintings give a voice to generations of people who have been a part of systematic racism.

Parts of her hair were created using images I took of black metal hangers and staircase in Italy.
Note: the horse( race), tunnel (vision)

The Heart Will Heal,2022 24x36

"Resilient, 4" 2022 30x40 We each deal with stress in our own way. Resilient; the capacity to recover -handling problems with strength and calm, open to change.

La Femme, 24 x 36, 2019, Black Wood Frame
"La Femme" literally means Look for The Woman. This mixed media painting is an abstracted figure of a woman. I have incorporated pages from a vintage dictionary from a page with the words Woman, Womankind, Procreate and Procrastinate. a In addition, there are 2 pages from a French letter dated ...

"Born Under a Blue Sky While the Black Bird Sang", 2022 30x40

"Things Said That Day", 2022 15x30
This mixed media painting is about mixed signals, two people recalling a conversation differently

If I find Vestige of You, I Think, I will Rest, 20x24, 2020
This mixed media collage on stretched canvas is an abstracted view of 2 figures; one searching for a lost figure.
Materials used: a portion of a 19th century French letter, torn pages from a French book, cardboard, recycled envelopes, fabric, portion of 1925 dictionary page ( recline, reclining, recluse, reclusive, recognition), vinyl pieces, rice paper, acrylic paint.

Clarity Was a Point Before His Eyes, 36x36, 2020 This abstract figure is a mixed media painting created using vintage men's silk dress shirt, 18th century French letter, canvas, paper,paint.

Daughters of Wisdom, 36x48, 2020 "Daughter's of Wisdom" is about the connection women have with each other. Women bring personal experiences to relationships that are share freely, establishing a sisterhood. The bond stabilizes them in difficult times, offering an umbrella to share to weather difficult times.
In the left figure I incorporated parts of a 1940's silk dress with blue parasols in the neck and torso. I found the dress in an abandoned house when I was 17. The woman's blue hair is a photo I took of large tropical leaves, digitally tinting the image.

We've Got This, 2022 30x40

"Tides Turn" 12x16, 2022 " Can we think about class wars for just a moment? Is it really possible that there's nothing new to learn from each other? Could we consider that we are all on the same team? ~ Amy Kitchen AVAILABLE at The RICHARD STRAVITZ GALLERY

"Passion and Persistence" 24x36 2020 A tale of what happens when sheer passion meets pushback and roadblocks can appear too large to overcome. This painting represents a woman morphing into whoever he wants her to be only to realize- he's just a man with flaws.

"The Threads That Bind Us" 2019-2022 24x30, is a figurative piece is about relationships. Uniting with a soulmate makes us whole. The purity and ease with which we are one with each other. How we can finish each others sentences, know what the other is thinking. When we finally find each other we are complete.

Deserving of Reverence, 2022, 24x20. This mixed media painting celebrates women, but also humanity - black and white, physical and spiritual, mired in the past yet hopeful for the future."~ Amy Kitchin
"Your crown has been bought and paid for. Put it on your head and wear it"~ Maya Angelou

Women Hold Up Half the Sky and Then Some, 2021 36x48
Women Hold Up Half the Sky is a painting about feminism and women's place in society. The left side is an abstracted female figure created by incorporating part of a hand weaving I created, a vintage textile that I embroidered of the woman's ovaries. The right side of the painting is an abstracted figure of a man that does not dominate her.

"To Have a Seat at the Table, 2022 15x30
Civil rights, Human rights, Racial Equality

"Higher Love" 30x40, 2019-2021. Higher Love is the love we experience together. He's everything to her, as she is to him...Their love is untouchable. This painting was created in 2019 and update in 2021. (I was listening to Marvin Gaye's music while updating it, hence the title).
"Depicts all that love can be - home, challenge, passion, communion - a place where protections and acceptance provide a secure foundation for reaching up and flying towards the heavens"~ Amy Kitchin , Richard Stravitz

United States of Hypocrisy, 2022 12x16

2021, 18x24. "On the Edge of Humanity" is about civil human rights. The threat of being picked up by the police is very real. The distressed area of the canvas surrounding her portrait represents the the emotional and physical damage inflicted on people of color. Encounters with police officers and menacing groups of people often brings fear for one's safety.
The current social climate where we are acutely aware of those that want to do harm, begs us to consider the vast and unknowable potentials of the future.

Lean Back, Exhale ©2021 20x24, Lean back is a mixed media painting of a semi-abstract reclining female figure. Lean back, but don't get lost.

"Day Dreaming and I'm Thinking of You" 2022 24x36

A Deeply Flawed Man, 24x24, 2019 The complexity of world events, fast moving and observed in real-time, elevates one's imperfections. Inspired by the political and social-sexual actions of flawed men. It speaks to a breakdown of civility between men and women, esteemed world leaders and elected officials.

Clear a Path to Proceed, 24x30 2021 All People are not treated equal. 100 years ago, my grandfather came to this country by ship to pursue the American dream. When he arrived they welcomed him and gave him a silk flag. Many are not treated fairly or given the same opportunities. Voting Rights are supposed to be protected and a right for all American citizens. Protect Amendments 14,15, 19 and 24, 26

Belonging, 2022 12x16
The baggage we carry from one generation to the next

Spiritual Warrior, 24x36, 2021 Her journey includes ancestors that came before her, she carries their hopes, dreams, burdens. Spiritual Warrior is about women having the strength to get through the day. No matter what comes her way, she is light, grace and gratitude and exudes hope.

16x20 2021 "Bestowed with Gifts" is a portrait of an black woman sparkling with life. Her journey has it's challenges and she rises to the opportunities presented before her. The veil with white glitter to her right alludes to opportunities that come up that don't always pan out. She will overcome.

Souls of Black Folk III, 8"x 8"

"Liabilities and Servitude" 2020, 9x12 Mixed Media on Paper

Cell of Rebellion, 24x36, 2021 Cell of Rebellion recognizes individuality. The grille is to guard words that flow when police brutality and racism get in your face.

Letting Go, 2022 12x12 "What do you suppose, is our heroine considering? The cap of an aviatrix could indicate she's ready to fly. Or the raised collar against the wind as a statement she's determined to stay. One eye open to survey her surroundings and one eye closed to venture inward. The binary of black and white. The rich, earthy groundedness of brown and red. What do your see - surrender or negotiation?" ~ Amy Kitchin Stravitz Gallery

"The Souls of Black Folk II" 8"x8"x.5 A series of small paintings about Transgenerational Racism.

"Just Us", 2022 24x36 Some couples have the feeling they have known each other early in their meeting. They are souls that met many lifetimes ago and continue the dance of love. They stand as equals, without power struggles...for they worked that out long ago.