I'm Back! And Kowloon Sign Painting

Kowloon

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

(available at Pop Gallery, Gloucester)

Wow!  I can't believe it has been a whole month since I last posted!
Things had gotten super crazy, and something had to give - unfortunately it was my blog.
But, now I am back, and hope to get caught up on posting most of the art that I did during December, plus maybe a little recap of some of the exciting things that were happening.

I painted a boatload of ornaments this year. Don't worry, I won't bore you by posting them all. But I may put up a little sampling - I did some different ones this year - and they were kind of fun!

The painting above - of the Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus, Massachusetts - is part of a grouping of small paintings on cradled panels that I created for Pop Gallery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. These little pieces (most are around 6x6" or 5x7") are a lot of fun to paint, really affordable to buy, and they look great in small spaces (or a few of them grouped together in a larger space). If you are interested in a similar piece, contact me to create one just for you!

Ferns - Small Acrylic Painting of a Retro Hotel Sign, Original Small Format Art

Ferns

6x6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Another painting of one of my favorite signs. I keep playing with different sizes and crops and compositions, trying to find what I like best. These little versions are a great way to try things out - and they also make great gifts (hint, hint)!

Rear Reflection - Acrylic Painting of a Classic Car

Rear Reflections

12 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

This painting was also accepted into the Newburyport Art Association's Fall Juried Show! On exhibit through November 21st.

I did a similar painting of this vintage Hudson a few years back. I'd like to get back into painting some of these classic cars - but a little larger this time around! Gotta admit my favorite part...notice the landscape reflected in the bumper......

Cherry Bomb - Original Still Life Painting Food Art by Debbie Shirley

Cherry Bomb

11 x 14 inches

acrylic on canvas

Oh, how much fun this was! Kinda a love/hate relationship with painting that pattern, but it makes me eager to try another one.

This painting was juried into the Newburyport Art Association's Fall Members Juried Show. And I am very pleased to announce that it won an Honorable Mention Award! The exhibition continues through November 21st.

Surprise - Small Acrylic Painting, Still Life with Potatohead

"Surprise!"

4x4 inches

acrylic on gessobord panel

Yes, even more Potatoheads! People keep asking for them , so I keep painting - and I have to admit, they are fun to paint.

For this one, I have some really neat custom floater-type frames made specifically for mounting panels. I thought this would look super cute in that kind of frame. I haven't been using gessobord in a while -  - I forgot how pleasant it is to work with!

More Ornaments - Potatohead Mini Paintings

Ornaments - 2x3", acrylic on mini canvases

Yes, even more ornaments!
It is amazing how early people are looking for these this year. I am playing with some new imagery this year -  not strictly Christmas, but something fun. There definitely will be many Potatohead ornaments - these ones were snapped up as soon as they were finished!

I won't be posting all my ornaments on my blog - don't want to bore you, especially with many of them being similar. But if you are interested in seeing what is available, check out the ornament section in my Etsy shop which I will do my best to keep stocked and updated daily.

Stripes - Small Acrylic Painting Still Life Autumn ACEO

Stripes

2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Buy with PayPal

Putting out there one more fall-themed piece on this bit of Indian summer kind of day.

Things have been crazy busy - lots of exhibitions, shows every weekend, some nice orders and commissions. I'm also in the middle of getting my Etsy shop for limited edition art prints up and running -  you can check it out here: ShirleyPrints  Keep checking back - I am adding new listings every day!

Autumn Twist - Small Acrylic Painting with a Fall Theme ACEO Original

Autumn Twist

2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Getting into a bit of a fall mood with the cooler weather lately, so I am working on a few little autumn-ish paintings for some of my local shows and shops.

These little paintings on watercolor paintings are always a great bargain for a tiny piece of original art. Interested? Check it out here: Buy with PayPal

Painting Demo at the Topsfield Fair

So.... I survived my first demo at the Topsfield Fair!

This was only my second demo ever - so I was a nervous wreck (my first one was for a much smaller event!). But everything went fine once I got set up. People were really friendly and asked lots of questions. I spent so much time talking, I didn't get quite as much painting done as I would have hoped:

Ooops. Maybe next time I will bring a piece with me that is much farther along......

Room - Small Acrylic Painting of a Vintage Motel Sign

Room

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

available here

Playing with different parts of signs - these little panels give me an opportunity to play with colors and compositions - and they give me some smaller pieces to make available at lower prices. I have a few favorite signs that I seem to paint a lot! Sometimes the colors and graphics just come together for me, and I enjoy trying different crops and layouts, trying to find what is really attracting me to the sign.

I hope you like these little pieces. Judging by how quickly they are being snapped up by my collectors, there seems to be a market for these little guys. And with the holidays coming up - remember original art makes a great gift, too!!

Greetings - Small Acrylic Painting of a Classic Toy

Greetings

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Yes, I am totally obsessed with Mr. Potatohead!
I've been painting him on ornaments, cradled panels, large canvases, small canvases, gessobord - even watercolor paper. So much fun to set up as a still life - and they make me smile when I paint them. And with the holidays coming up, wouldn't they make a fun gift, too? I love taking them to shows - kids get so excited when they see them, it's kind of neat to combine a toy that everyone recognizes with art - kind of makes art more "approachable" for some.

And, I picked up one more vintage "model", so there will be even more coming up! Hope you don't get tired of this silly little guy......

Motel - Original Acrylic Painting of Retro Neon Sign

Motel

11 x 14 inches

acrylic on canvas

Another painting from Fern's on Route 1. Love playing with the different crops and angles.

This painting will be exhibited at Coolidge Hall during the Topsfield Fair October 2-12.

Mini Painting, Painted Ornament

Yes, it is THAT time again! Eeeek!
I am starting to sneak in a few of my ornaments here and there. These are always incredibly popular, so please contact me early if you are interested in purchasing any this year!

Summer View - Small Landscape Painting by Debbie Shirley

Summer View

4 x 6 inches

acrylic on linen panel

Every now and then I get an urge to do a more "traditional" landscape. This is a scene from northern Maine. This painting will be available in the Art Room at Coolidge Hall at the Topsfield Fair, October 2-12.

Hilltop - Acrylic Painting of a Classic Sign

Hilltop

16 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

I just had to paint a  Hilltop sign for the displays at Farley's of Newburyport. I need to stop by this week to see just how that used it. It is so  much fun to take part in a collaboration with a different kind of business - I'd love to see more art in all kinds of venues!

Display at Farley's

As part of the collaboration between Newburyport Art Association and Farley's of Newburyport, I was selected to exhibit some of my selected paintings at Farley's. Today I dropped off 8 pieces that the staff stylist had picked out, and returned this evening for an artist Meet & Greet. It was fun to see how they displayed the paintings for the reception. Here is an example:

Isn't this a great idea? It is a win-win....the store gets some new ideas to build displays around, and the artist gets some good exposure. And the work is available for sale as well. Tomorrow, Farley's Master Stylist will more fully integrate the work into their windows and displays. I can't wait to see what he comes up with!

Cycles - Small Acrylic Painting of Building in Haverhill

Cycles

(Haverhill, MA)

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled wood panel

Trying out a small panel. Love the angles of this building and the shadows. Another one I'd love to try in gouache and kept as simple shapes.

OW - Acrylic Painting of Vintage Neon Sign and Newburyport News!

OW

12 x 9 inches

acrylic on canvas

Back to the old Fowles sign...love the shadows that the neon tubes make!

The Fowles sign is a Newburyport landmark.....and rather apropos for the little exhibition I have coming up! I am thrilled to be a part of the partnership between the Newburyport Art Association and Farley's of Newburyport! My work will be exhibited as part of the creative displays in the store and in the window of Farley's for two weeks this month. There will  be a "Meet the Artist" reception on 9/8, from 6-7:30 and my work will be displayed from 9/9 - 9/23. There is more information about the collaboration here:
NewburyportNews

Mischief - Acrylic Painting of a Classic Toy (Again!)

Mischief

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Lots of requests for "MORE POTATOHEAD"! I sometimes visit a subject more than once. Usually I change the crop, the colors, the point of view, or the size and or orientation. This is actually very close to the same crop as I just painted for the ACEO a few days prior. I wanted to try it larger - and I also like to see how just the littlest changes can really affect the "expression" on the Potatohead. Certainly fun to play with!

This piece will be available at the Art Room at the Topsfield Fair later this month.

Greetings - Small ACEO Acrylic Painting of a Classic Toy

Greetings

3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Some more Potatohead paintings - by popular request!
This one is headed to Positive Images Gallery later this week.

I actually picked up a new vintage Potatohead - so you will soon be seeing some different "outfits" soon!

Fun and Games - Small ACEO Paintings of Vintage Game Boards

Yellow Home

3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Color Play

3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

A couple of the fun little pieces heading to Positive Images Gallery next week.
Interested in a similar painting? Contact me!

National Dog Day!

In honor of National Dog Day.....

My faithful companion. No it's not a painting, but a picture of my sweet pup at the end of the dock at our cabin in Maine.
Morgan is a rescue from down South - she had been abused and thrown from a truck on the highway. She is quirky and skittish - and very leery of men -  but she is a sweetheart and we feel lucky to have her as part of our family. Back to  our regularly scheduled program tomorrow  ;-)

Newsletter Sign-Up

Have you signed up for my studio newsletter?
Well, what are you waiting for?!!

Just another way to keep up with the latest news and events from my studio coming right to your inbox. Sound good? You can sign up here:  http://eepurl.com/Jh-tv

Work in Progress

Prepping some small panels. Ooohhh, the possibilities!

Salem Arc - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign

Salem Arc

(Salem, Massachusetss)

8 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Small sign and buildings are also in demand by my local shops...this one is small at 8 x 6 inches,  however it is just screaming to me that it wants to be a BIG painting when it grows up!

Laying Low - Small Acrylic Painting for your Kitchen!

Laying Low

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

A last little fruit piece for now I think - time to move on!

Slide Over - A Strawberry Mini Painting by Debbie Shirley

Slide Over 

3 x 3  inches

acrylic on panel

A mini mini! And painting strawberries is fun   ;-)

Point of View - Small Acrylic Painting Colorful Still Life with Pepper

Point of View

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

More little pieces of kitchen art.....

Work in Progress

Work in progress.....

It is interesting to me, that while my more traditional still life paintings tend to start as a monochromatic value painting, my larger paintings of signs usually begin as a quick flat color and compositional layout. Thinking about playing with gouache painting at some point and concentrating on the color and composition alone......

Trio - Small Acrylic Painting Still Life with Tomatoes

Trio

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Needing to do some minis for some local shops, so here will be a few days of fruit.....

Bedazzled - Acrylic Painting Still Life with Grapes

Bedazzled

8 x 8 inches

acrylic on canvas

My second entry to the 8 Cubed exhibition at the Newburyport Art Association, opening today, August 7 running through the 22nd. There is a public reception tomorrow, Saturday August 8th from 7-9pm. Hope to see you there!

Trapped - Acrylic Painting of Classic Toy

Trapped

8 x 8 inches

acrylic on canvas

A fun painting! One of my entries to the "8 Cubed" exhibit at the Newburyport Art Association. Around 200 8 x 8 inch canvases are filled by member artists and displayed together in one of the galleries. The show runs from August 7-22 with a public reception on August 8th from 7-9pm. It is always a great show - be sure to check it out if you are in the area!

August Newsletter

The latest news from my studio....my August newsletter is here!
Summer News and Events

Service - Acrylic Painting of Signs, Cityscape Haverhill, Massachusetts

Service

16 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

A view of signs in downtown Haverhill. This is quite the landmark - I have painted it a few times from different angels, and people always tell me great stories about going there as a child to get their first radio or record player or the family tv set. These wonderful stories are one part of what makes painting signs and buildings so much fun - thanks for sharing them with me.

Fresh Cut - Original ACEO Still Life Painting, Watermelon Kitchen Art

Fresh Cut

2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

The last watermelon piece for a while, I promise! These were by request for a customer while we were working out some ideas for another piece. The ones that were not bought are now available in my DailyPaintworks gallery. This original little piece can be purchased here: Buy with PayPal

Summer Stripes - Original ACEO Painting Still Life of Watermelon

Summer Stripes

2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

More fun with watermelon - a little ACEO-size painting. Doesn't this just feel so summery?
These little mini paintings on watercolor paper (and varnished) are a fun and inexpensive way to start an original mini art collection.
Interested? This piece is available here:
Buy with PayPal

Sweet Days - Original Acrylic Mini Painting Still Life of Watermelon

Sweet Days

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Reserved

I had a special request for a bunch of little watermelon paintings. I hadn't painted watermelon before - so I had some fun with it! What a great subject for a hot summer day.....

Work in Progress....another small painting

Since I have been concentrating so much on my larger pieces this year with all the exhibitions I have had, I now have a very low inventory of smaller pieces - and some of my local shops and customers are pleading for more! So for the next few weeks, I think that will be mostly what I will be working on.....

This is an 8 x 6" acrylic on a cradled panel from the wonderful Salem Willows Arcade neon sign.

Summer Taste - Small Acrylic Painting, Summer Still Life with Watermelon

Summer Taste

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

A fun little summery mini painting! A quick little venture into a few paintings including watermelon by special request.

Holding Close - Small Acrylic Painting on Canvas Still Life of Pear

Holding Close

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on canvas

So.... yesterday's pear needed a companion. Love how these two look together in their little floater frames:

This pair of pears is available at the Newburyport Art Association Gift Shop.

Letting Go - Small Acrylic Painting on Canvas Still Life of Pear

Letting Go

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on canvas

I bought some awesome small floater frames recently (http://www.canvasplace.com) and also bought a few of the 4x4" stretched canvases from the same company just to try them out. Love the texture of the canvas and how nice and tight the canvas feels. The mini floater frames are adorable, so I need to work on a few pieces so I can use them. I haven't painted pears in a while, so I started with a pear.

Works in Progress...

I have been thinking for a while about posting more works in progress as they are on my easel. It means more posts, but I have had some people tell me that they really enjoy seeing the process.  And with the fact that I have been doing more larger pieces, means I have less finished pieces to post and the entire process takes longer anyways.

So - give me some feedback!  I'd love to hear if you'd mind seeing a little more "behind the scenes" and see some of the paintings as I go.

Here is one to start things off.....an 8x8" painting for the upcoming 8 Cubed exhibition at the  Newburyport Art Association

Ferns - Acrylic Painting of Old Motel Sign

Ferns

16 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

There is a graphic quality about this sign that I really like, I am considering doing a "flat" version in gouache just to emphasize that quality without an shading or background distraction. Gouache would be a new medium for me, so we will have to see how it goes!

Home - Small Acrylic Painting of Classic Board Game Original ACEO

Home

3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

I've always loved the game "Sorry!" for some reason - and I still get a kick out of playing it with my kids. Maybe it is just being able to say "Sorry!" with a smile as I send them back to start over.....

(By the way - I loved the suggestion of Clue. Hopefully you will see some paintings of that game in the future.)

Following - Small Acrylic Painting of Classic Game Board, Original ACEO

Following

3-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

A little Parcheesi, perhaps?!