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ira Fercho, at the clever age of 2, told her parents she was
going to grow up to be a painter. But life as a full-time artist is an
achievement accomplished by few. After earning her Master's
Degree and becoming a licensed therapist while trying to paint
and single parent, it wasn't until she was 30 when she finally said,
"If I don't' make this jump I'm afraid I'm never going to. I had to
trade one thing I loved for one thing I loved a little bit more."
Known for her "thick and juicy" paintings, Fercho has been
seen wearing gloves and using her hands to apply paint. "About
90% of my painting is done with palatte knives and 10% with
natural hogs hair brushes. I don't cut my paints at all so it takes a
while to dry them. However, this type of paint will last well beyond
my great-grandchildren," she says, "A good part of the image
you see is your eye putting together textures and psychologically
linking them in your brain to see shapes."
Four years ago, Fercho opened Western Art Forum, a gallery in
Big Sky's Town Center. She currently has two studios: one at home
and one she rents until a building project is completed in April.
"I usually work on 5-6 pieces at a time because there's so much
time needed for drying in between layers. But it also helps me
emotionally disconnect from my pieces so I can accurately see
Kira Fercho Art Show
Stimulate Your Brain!
By Heather Bode
kira
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