Instagram story viewer> @dkirkmanart> Posts

David Kirkman | Abstract Artist, Bold Statement Paintings

@dkirkmanart

16.6K

followers

7544

following

💥F*ck the grey. Bold art for people who refuse to shrink. Fill your home with joy. Gallery represented. Neurospicy Energy.
Shipping Worldwide.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

If you surround yourself with colour, personality and life… you’ll probably like it here.

#abstractart #happyart #positiveart #colourfulhomes #colourfulart taken in United Kingdom by @dkirkmanart

376

37

9 months ago

Stories like this mean the world to me.

This collector first discovered my work by chance at a pop-up exhibition, and now they have five of my paintings in their home. (Four at the time of writing their review!)

Each piece found its perfect place, chosen through a private viewing to make sure the art felt right for their space.

That’s what it’s all about, connection, emotion, and finding the piece that feels like you.

If something catches your eye, don’t wait. Originals are one of a kind, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Explore available work now, link in bio.

#ArtCollector #ArtCollection #BoldArt #AbstractArt #NeurospicyArtist #StreetStyle #AutisticArtist #AuDHD #ADHDArtist #DKirkmanArt by @dkirkmanart

360

33

a year ago

I thought it was time to reintroduce myself.... To all my new followers, WELCOME 🤙I'm David, and this is why I do it.

Nearly 3 years ago, I walked away from “safe” and chose art. No fallback plan, no guarantees — just me, paint, and a mission: turn chaos into colour, and this is where we are....

⚠️ What I create isn’t delicate. It’s bold. Vibrant. Energetic and always real.

I was diagnosed with AuDHD at 39, it didn’t change me or my work— it explained it. The intensity, the obsession with movement and colour, and the need to create without rules — it all made sense. Mental health and neurodivergence are threads in my work because they’re threads in my life.

And yeah, I talk about that stuff — especially for men. Especially for my two sons. Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s strength.

My paintings are a celebration of life, of being unapologetically yourself. It’s about self-acceptance, finding the beauty in the mess, and spreading a little joy while we’re at it. I want people to feel something when they see my art.

It’s not been easy, but I've gone from nothing to having work in galleries, my own solo shows, and some incredible collectors. But the real win? Connecting with people who feel something in the work, that is truly amazing.

Some fun facts:
🌟 I don't use a pallette. Instead, I mix directly on the canvas... Why?
🌟 My Gollum impression is pretty good.
🌟I love to dive, especially with sharks. No cages.

Stick around — the ride’s just getting started. Let’s make some noise, some colour, and a little bit of magic.

#wellness #adhd #dkirkmanart #abstractart #diving taken in Essex by @dkirkmanart

423

40

a year ago

If something I make ever stops you mid-scroll, a like takes one second and it means more than you'd think.

The algorithm doesn't make it easy for small creative businesses. It doesn't reward consistency or years of showing up. It rewards noise, controversy, and content designed to provoke a reaction for all the wrong reasons.

So when a real person hits like on something they actually connected with, that single tap tells the algorithm this content is worth showing to someone else. It's the closest thing an independent artist has to word of mouth in a world that's increasingly difficult to be seen in.

I'm not asking you to do anything you don't mean. If something resonates, just let it know.

That's enough. 🖤

#BoldArtists #ModernArtists #AbstractArtists #ADHDArtists #AuDHDArtists by @dkirkmanart

51

3

13 hours ago

I’m used to the funny looks and complete disbelief.

The idea that you'd go to the canvas not to express what you're feeling but to find something you're not feeling yet, people really do need a moment to process that.

But for me the painting isn't a record of my emotional state. It's how I change it. I paint towards the thing I need, not the thing I have. And somewhere in the process of making the work, I usually find it.

The no plan one gets people too. But a plan would mean deciding what the piece is before I've listened to what it wants to be.

That's not how this works.

Weird looks are fine 😆

The work speaks for itself. 🖤

#AbstractArtists #ModernArtists #ArtistLife #CreativeLiving #ColourfulArt by @dkirkmanart

129

41

2 days ago

When you're done with safe, neutral, blends-with-everything.

When you want something on your wall that actually means something.

Bold colour. Real emotion. Zero beige.

Welcome.

#AbstractArtist #BoldArtist #AuDHDArtist #EmotiveArtist #PositiveArt by @dkirkmanart

34

2

3 days ago

If you love art please keep supporting the human artists out there.

This piece has sold but prints are still available x

#supportlivingartists #abstractart #artlovers #interiordesignuk #dkirkmanart taken in United Kingdom by @dkirkmanart

3

8

4 days ago

This is what my art is all about...

Colour, happiness, hope, energy, and creating something that might make someone feel a little bit better when they look at it.

I know art can’t fix everything. But I do believe what we surround ourselves with can change how we feel.
And if something I create brings a bit more colour, positivity or joy into someone’s day, then that feels like a pretty bloody good reason to keep painting.

'Ebb and Flow' - Original painting @ocagallery.stalbans

#abstractart #colourlover #colourfulhomes #happyart #mentalhealth taken in United Kingdom by @dkirkmanart

52

5

5 days ago

Let's stick to showing off the paintings... it's alot kinder on the eyes! 🤣

Hope you like it.

#happypainting #joyfulart #paintingreveal #mentalhealth #funnyreels😂😂 taken in United Kingdom by @dkirkmanart

83

16

6 days ago

Day 2 of asking my kids to describe my paintings in one word....No prompting just whatever comes out their brain 😬

What could go wrong!?

Are you on the same page as Max?

New Piece - 'Bursts of Hope'

#funnykids #funnyart #artreveal #abstractart #viralreel taken in United Kingdom by @dkirkmanart

139

34

7 days ago

After four years of showing up to a canvas with whatever I've got that day, the good days, the burnt out days, the school holiday chaos days, the days where I had nothing left.

The act of making something (anything!) shifts something in the brain that very little else does.

Creativity without rules and limits. Good or bad. Finished or unfinished. Full of emotion and meaning for you and you alone.

Colour, mess, movement, the feeling of doing something with your hands that exists outside of a screen and a to-do list, that's not a luxury. For a lot of us it's the thing that keeps everything else manageable.

I can't promise it'll make you happy, but I can honestly say that I've never once finished a painting and felt worse than when I started.

Make something today. Anything. 🖤

#CreativeLife #CreativeLiving #ArtistsLife #AbstractArtist #AuDHDArtist by @dkirkmanart

30

2

8 days ago

The brain is a funny thing. Out of twenty positive comments, your brain will magnify the one single negative one, replay it over and over, and somehow convince you that it carries more weight than everything else combined.

For someone with AuDHD, rejection sensitivity means a throwaway comment said in passing can drag you down for DAYS.

And these weren't even throwaway; they were said to my face IN PERSON.

But I’ve also had three absolutely incredible standout statements that could’ve been buried underneath the negatives.

Except I made an active choice to focus on those three positive statements, especially when things are tough and when the negatives threaten to drown me.

My art was never meant for every person, so I’ll reserve my energy for the right ones.

Brain sparklies, feeling happier, and feeling something for the very first time. Those are my people. And they're worth every negative comment I've ever had.

#AbstractArtists #AuDHDArtist #ModernArtists #ADHDCommunity #BoldArt by @dkirkmanart

108

14

9 days ago