Summer Recap!

Burgers

18 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas

(exhibited at the Rhythm Cafe, Merrimac, MA until September 7)

What a crazy summer it has been!

It started off with a bunch of shows, continuing from my very busy spring season and including a bunch of new venues. Then a move to a new studio (more info coming on that soon). And a 2 month solo show locally at Rhythm Cafe in Merrimac, Massachusetts (the show continues until September 7th if you want to stop by for a great meal and fun art!).

I was also featured in a new local newspaper called "Haverhill Life". How fun it was to read what a local gallery owner had to say about my work - and the connections that people make to its nostalgic nature. Click on the picture below to see the article a little larger and more readable.

Fall season is starting to gear up with a couple of exhibits and shows - so be sure to follow me on Facebook (or check out the "Events" page on my website) to keep up with my current events. And don't forget to subscribe to my email newsletter to hear about new shows and to get the first peeks at my work as it comes off the easel!

Skips - Small Acrylic Painting of a Classic Neon Sign

Skips

6x6 inches

acrylic on cradled board

Finally a different part of the Skips neon sign! I love the part of the sign that says "The Best" - great words, shapes and colors. It has taken me a while to find another part of the sign that I wanted to paint. Some time I may have to do a larger version of the entire sign - it really is one of my favorites!

Working on a couple of these smaller pieces simultaneously with a few larger paintings that I hope will be ready to post soon. I think I start working on multiple projects at once when I am feeling a bit restless....

"The Best" - Happy New Year!

The Best

8 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

available at Pop Gallery

Happy New Year! Here's hoping that 2016 will be "The Best" for you!

Hard to believe that 2015 is over. I'm trying to think of 2016 as a clean slate - I've got lots of big things planned!

2015 was a pretty big year - I was hoping to have the chance to put together a retrospective post about all the things that happened (or a great video like my friend Linda Germain!), however 2016 is really starting off with a bang and I am not sure that I will get a chance to do it in detail.....

But in a nutshell -
-October of 2015 was the end of over 18 straight months of small venue solo exhibitions. I exhibited in libraries, banks, community centers, stores and the like for over 18 months, one show right after the next. I painted larger than I have for a long time. And I learned a lot about exhibiting, hanging, and promoting these little shows - so it was really a great experience for me. And hopefully good preparation for bigger things.
-I also won awards - 3 in juried shows at the Newburyport Art Association, 1 in a Greater Haverhill Arts Association show, and a ribbon in the Professional Art Division at the Topsfield Fair,
-I did 2 online interviews and a published magazine interview (with pictures!) - kind of a big deal for a total introvert like me!
-I helped (with 4 other local artists) start up a new monthly venue for artists on the northshore of Massachusetts - the Haverhill Art Market
-I did more exhibitions, shows and markets then I care to count right now  ;-)
-And I painted more than 150 paintings! Being that many of them were much larger than the 6x6 (and smaller) pieces I had been doing in the past, I am quite pleased with that number!

And many sincere thanks to YOU for following me and keeping up with the craziness! You all are truly "The Best" and I wish for a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year for everyone. Here's to a wonderful 2016!

Skips - Small Acrylic Painting of Vintage Neon Sign

"Wish You Were Here"

Skip's

Merrimac, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another painting of the Skip Hamburgers sign in Merrimac, Massachusetts. I love the arrow on the sign,  but decided to try a crop of more of the left edge. Still not exactly working the way that I want it to, so I am sure I will be painting the sign again sometime.

This piece is now hanging along with 18 other little paintings of mine as well as the very clever projects from other members of Fun-a-Day Boston. More information about the exhibition here.

The Best - Acrylic Painting of Vintage Neon Sign by Debbie Shirley

The Best

Merrimac, Massachusetts

18 x 18 inches

acrylic on canvas

I took a little break from blogging about my Fun-A-Day project as I was madly getting ready for a local solo exhibition. You can now see 28 of my paintings at the Hamilton-Wenham Library in South Hamilton, Massachusetts until the end of February. And don;t worry...the Fun-A-Day project will be continued here on my blog soon.....

Skip's - Day 4 of 30 Day Painting Challenge and Fun-A-Day Postcard Project

"Wish You Were Here"

Skip's Hamburgers

Merrimac, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper

Great sign - a fairly unexpected find in little Merrimac, Massachusetts! I am working on a larger version - 18 x 18 inches! - of a different part of this sign for an upcoming exhibition.