Lot description
An original oil painting on board by Alaska artist Joan Arend Kickbush (1926-2006), depicting an Alaska Native mother seated with her two children in a quiet family moment. One child cradles a doll while the mother gestures toward the ground, creating an intimate domestic scene rendered with the warmth and humanity that became central to the artist's work. Executed with Kickbush's characteristic palette-knife technique, the composition displays the textured surface, rich coloration, and softly modeled faces that distinguish her paintings. Kickbush is best known for her portrayals of Alaska Native children and village life. After relocating to Anchorage in 1953, she traveled extensively throughout rural Alaska, often flying with her husband, Roland "Kick" Kickbush, to remote communities where she filled sketchbooks with studies later developed into finished paintings in her studio. The Siberian Yupik village of Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island was among her favorite subjects and helped shape the imagery for which she became widely recognized. Her distinctive palette-knife method, combined with a matte wax finish, created the jewel-like surfaces that became a hallmark of her mature work. While children are the primary focus of most Kickbush paintings, compositions incorporating adult figures are encountered less frequently. This example's emphasis on the relationship between mother and children adds an additional layer of narrative interest while remaining firmly within the subject matter that established her reputation among Alaska collectors during the 1960s and 1970s. Signed lower left and dated 1969. Housed in the original frame measuring approximately 32.75" x 26.75" overall with a sight view of approximately 24" x 18".