Hilltop House - Acrylic Painting of the Hilltop Steakhouse Neon Sign

Hilltop House

12 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

SOLD

One of my favorite signs to paint, this is the largest one I have painted of the Hilltop cactus yet.

The actual restaurant was demolished about a month or so ago, but the sign still stands.
This painting sold at the first night of the Art in the Barn at the Cox Reservation in Essex, Massachusetts.

Kowloon - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign in Saugus, Massachusetts

"Wish You Were Here"

Kowloon

Saugus, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Got to love the kitschy architecture in Route 1 in Saugus! A lot of the older buildings and signs are disappearing quickly - and the spaces are being taken over by big box stores. The Kowloon still stands - still busy, and definitely a throwback to an earlier time. I'm thinking I need to paint the actual building as well....

From the Beginning - Small Acrylic Painting Kitchen Art by Debbie Shirley

From the Beginning

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Some of these weekends are crazy busy with family stuff...and posting becomes really difficult when I am away from the computer all day.

At any rate, this is number 9 of the 20 you will be voting on. Almost halfway there!

And by the way, I don't think I ever posted it here, but my painting "Surplus" was accepted into the Newburyport Art Association's Fall Members Juried Show!

Surplus

16 x 12 inches

acrylic on 1-1/2" canvas

On the Corner - Small ACEO Painting Cityscape, Old Woolworths Building in Haverhill, Massachusetts

On The Corner

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

Day 2 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge. We are supposed to pick a theme....I considered going back to the "Things from my Kitchen" that I did for the Fun-A-Day Project in January since I had such a good time with that. Then I considered doing smaller versions of some of my "Roadside Retro" paintings as warmups for the shows I have coming up for that series. And then I considered doing a month of my mini ornament paintings to get ready for the holidays. But you know what?  September is such an incredibly crazy month for me, I didn't want to add to the stress. So basically my theme is just to "Get It Done". In whatever form it takes.

This is a familiar corner to people who live near Haverhill. It was once a Woolworths, but has been closed and empty for many decades. It is scheduled to be demolished this month as part of a new downtown development. I took a number of pictures around the back of the building, which I can see possibly becoming a series of its own at one point. I wish I had a chance to see the inside of the building before it goes.....

This piece is going to Positive Images Gallery on Wingate Street in Haverhill, Massachusetts later this week.

It's All Right - Small Sunflower Painting Original Acrylic Small Format Art

It's All Right

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on gessobord panel

One more little floral for the Newburyport Art Association gift shop. And yes, I was thinking of the Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" the whole time I was working on this:

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
It's all right, It's all right"

Elemental Effects for Day 11 of the Painting Challenge

Elemental Effects

8 x 10 inches

acrylic on canvas

Day 11 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge:

I am still hanging in there - more then 1/3rd of the way through the month
This piece will be available at MixtMedia Gallery in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

And, yes, I have a thing for peeling paint......

Authorized Parking Only - Painting of Building Architecture

Authorized Parking Only

10 x 8 inches

acrylic on canvas

This is an old, largely empty building in Haverhill, MA. It wasn't quite the direction I had planned on going with it when I started, but it kinda took on a life of its own! I like working with old buildings, the more run down, the better. This one was a little plain, but I liked some of the shapes and angles, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Because of some upcoming projects, there are going to be some more building paintings in the near future. I did a little walking around Haverhill today - some really great buildings to work with. Now I need to go back with my sketchbook and camera  ;-)

This painting will be at a new show at the Sage Gallery in Haverhill.More info to come.......

Empty Vessel - New Painting Farm Building Abandoned Silo

Empty Vessel

10x8 inches

acrylic on canvas

This painting is to be entered in a local exhibit. I hope to have more information about it to share with you soon.

I always find old farms intriguing (I wonder what this silo held?) - and a little sad - so many of the small local ones can no longer sustain themselves. I try to buy from local farms as much as I can - but in New England, winter can be a little tricky  ;-) I took the kids to the Middleton Farmers Market yesterday. We had so much fun picking out yummy things to eat that I totally forgot that I meant to get a few things specifically for a still life! Oh well - I guess there is always next week!

These 8x10s always feel big after working so small for so long. I am starting to get the urge to work a little bigger though. I don't really have to space to work any larger right now, but I am starting to think about how to work it out......

Cottage Window SOLD

Cottage Window, 4 x 4", acrylic on canvas
SOLD

This was a response to an About.com challenge photo. I really wanted to emphasize the angles of the window and its surroundings in my painting as well as the kind of run-down, deserted feeling of the cottage.

It is available on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/49239220/cottage-window-small-format-original

Behind Bars SOLD

Behind Bars, 4 x 4", acrylic on canvas
SOLD

Finally finished this Fort Sewall painting.

Fort Sewall is an interesting fort built in Marblehead, Massachusetts in the 1600's. (see here for more details: http://www.essexheritage.org/sites/fort_sewall.shtml ) This painting is based on a view of one of the remaining bunkers that supposedly held prisoners during one period of history (and is, of course, rumored to be haunted). I am intrigued by the area - I hope to make more paintings inspired by the fort.

This painting will be available on Etsy.