An acrylic painter born and raised under the Big Sky, Rebecca Kinane specializes in wildlife, western ranch life, and livestock. The seeds for the inspiration in her work were planted in Rebecca’s youth; her father and grandfather farmed and ranched together, and Rebecca’s mother often whisked her and her siblings away to Yellowstone and Glacier National Park for weekend getaways. Rebecca’s childhood home in the tiny town of Ulm was also frequented by local wildlife that could often be seen from the family’s dining room window. 

Rebecca has been drawing since early childhood, and often preferred creating her own illustrations over filling in the lines on the pages of children’s coloring books. Movement and action have always been a part of her work, and her kindergarten teacher even said the cats Rebecca often drew appeared to be dancing. Rebecca enjoyed art and creative projects all through elementary, then took four years of art in high school, graduating in 2009.

Throughout her life, Rebecca experimented with many mediums, finally settling on acrylic as her chosen method to create ten years ago. No longer wanting to be simply a jack of all trades and master of none, Rebecca poured herself into her painting after completing the Montana Artrepreneur Program with the Montana Arts Council. Rebecca began portraying North American wildlife in a unique style featuring abstract shapes and bold colors. 

Rebecca’s move to Wyoming in 2020 with her husband, Roman, marked the beginning of a new era in her art journey. Continuing to experiment with her style and skills as a self-taught artist, Rebecca began to paint more realistic wildlife, and took on a new challenge: people. The men and women of the Cowboy State inspired her to create art that focused on cowboys, cowgirls, and their way of life. 

Rebecca’s work continues to feature bright, bold colors, as well as high contrast and movement in an effort to evoke emotion in her viewers. Additionally, she frames all her pieces herself, finding just the right accent to each painting at a thrift shop, estate sale, or even in a salvaged pile of barnwood, believing that each piece needs its own, unique frame to help tell its story. Combining all these elements, Rebecca hopes to bridge the gap between artist and viewer, man and beast, and nature and society while bringing joy to herself and those around her.