Bride and Groom- Small Acrylic Painting Commission Classic Toy Still Life

Bride & Groom

5 x 5 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

How much fun is this?
This was a little commissioned piece for a wedding gift. It was extra fun to add some facial features from the actual couple getting married.
Interested in getting a custom creation of your own? Contact me dshirleyart@yahoo.com!

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"

Haverhill Music - Local Landscape Cityscape Painting

Haverhill Music

6 x 5 inches

acrylic on board

The holiday crazies seem to have begun!
I'm crazy busy (and already feeling  behind!) but all kinds of fun stuff coming up. I can't believe the big Wenham fair is just over a week away! More details soon.

This painting is one more local scene -unfortunately this business closed earlier this year.  I will be taking this piece with a small grouping of Haverhill paintings to Positive Images Gallery on Wingate Street in Haverhill at the end of the week.

And last call on commissions before the holidays. Two more days (or when I fill these last two slots - which ever comes first!) .....Friday, November 15th, 2013 will be the absolute last day I accept new commissions for this holiday season.

Mark's - Small Acrylic Painting, Cityscape Landscape

Mark's

5 x 4 inches

acrylic on board

An interesting bit of architecture on a corner in downtown Haverhill, Massachusetts. I keep checking it out when I pass by - I still think at the right time of day with the right shadows, there will be another painting there somewhere.....

I am hoping to squeeze in one more Haverhill piece before I deliver a bunch to Positive Images Gallery. A few commissions in process....and holiday shows coming up quickly ...oh my!

Fallen Leaves - Small Acrylic Painting of Autumn Leaf

Fallen Leaves 6

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

available here

I'm loving all the colors in the oak leaves. Picked up a few lovely red ones today, too, while on a hike with my boys. Hard to believe we are already into November - my holiday shows start in less than three weeks!

Just a reminder.... I will only be taking a few more requests for holiday commissions......please contact me asap if you are interested!

From the Field - Landscape Painting

From the Field

8 x 10 inches

acrylic on canvas

This landscape is for the Wine and Art Reception at Veasey Park in Groveland, Massachusetts this Saturday night, November 2, from 5-8pm. There will be a live band, appetizers, wine tasting, and lots of wonderful local art and artists. It's always a lot of fun - hope to see you there!

In other news, I am so pleased and honored that both my paintings "Soliloquy" and "Morning Cup" were juried in to the Newburyport Art Association's Fall Members Juried Show, Pt. 2. That show runs through the 23rd of November with an opening reception on Saturday, November 2nd from 7-9pm. Yes, they are going to have to clone me  ;-)

Morning Cup - Acrylic Still Life Painting with Abstract Shapes

Morning Cup

8 x 10 inches

acrylic on canvas

Working on keeping up with some deadlines......this painting is for an upcoming juried show.  It is actually a new and larger version of a small painting I did a few years ago. It's always an interesting exercise to see how differently you do things the second time - and to see how the way you work changes over a couple of years.

Work-in-Progress Wednesday will have to wait until Thursday......my camera battery needs to be charged, and a certain Red Sox World Series game is calling for my attention.......

Looking Up - Small Landscape ACEO Painting, Cityscape

Looking Up

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

A little landscape scene of some of the signs in downtown Haverhill. I always seem to go back to the signs! This little painting will be going to Positive Images Gallery in Haverhill in a few weeks with a few other Haverhill cityscapes.

Interested in a cityscape of your own? I've had people request paintings of favorite signs, favorite places, special locations.....I will be taking holiday orders for only a few more weeks, so contact me soon if you are interested!

Fallen Leaves - Small ACEO Painting for Autumn Decor

Fallen Leaves 4

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another autumn leaf....this one from one of the beautiful oaks in my yard. This has been a very colorful fall - the weather has been perfect! The last few years the color hasn't been quite so brilliant - we'd get too cold too fast (or even snow while the leaves were still on the trees) or so much wind and rain that the leaves would all fall early. This year the color has been amazing.....and it makes me want to keep right on painting these leaves!

Like the other paintings in this series, this is spot varnished on the painted parts only. It is available for sale here.

Fallen Leaves - Small Painting, ACEO Original

Fallen Leaves 3

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

available here

Another one in my popular Fallen Leaves Series. I actually started this series last year (under a different name) but decided to continue them this year.

It seems every time I take my dog for a walk, I pick up a few more beautiful leaves that I want to paint. Sometimes it is the color, sometimes the shape, but something makes me pick up certain ones. I love the simplicity of the colorful leaf with its shadow on a stark white background. I spot varnish the painting of the leaf itself, so it really pops.

This painting is available now on my blog, and in a few days it will be on my Etsy shop with a few options. Because Etsy now allows listing variations, I am going to try listing these with the options of being unframed, matted to 5 x 7, or matted and framed in a 5 x 7 black metal gallery frame. We shall see how people like them best!

Patience - Small Still Life Painting on Canvas Food Art

Patience

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" canvas

I had fun with this little grouping. I need to get back to painting more food!  ;-) Oh, so many things to paint, so little time.

Here are the three pieces together:

And they headed over to West Village Provisions today with a few Fall themed pieces.

I am working on getting my first newsletter together! I hope to do a monthly thing,  but if you know me, it'll probably be more like every other month. If you are interested in getting my first one in your inbox sometime soon (I hope!), you can sign up here.

You Belong - Small Still Life of Pepper Kitchen Art

You Belong

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" canvas

More food....love pairing the colorful fruit and veggies with my collection of colorful dinnerware. I may have to try a series of larger ones with a patterned background. Hmmm......

No work on the easel today for Work in Progress Wednesday, except for a commission I can't share quite yet. More to come soon!

This little painting, along with the one from yesterday, will be available at West Village Provisions in West Boxford, Massachusetts later this week!

You Belong - $35 + $3 shipping in the US

(please contact me for international shipping)

Grateful Gourd - Small Autumn Still Life Painting

Grateful Gourd

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

acrylic on board

available here

A little touch of fall for the first day of October!
Sneaking in a few little ones while I am working on larger projects....

Day 27 - Tiny Landscape Painting

Summer's Hill

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on archival panel

Another one on the tiny panels!
I love this hill at Veasey Park in Groveland, Massachusetts. I paint it often. I have been driving by it a lot lately, hence this little piece. I do want to get out there to paint en plein air very soon - the autumn show of color is just starting around here.....

Day 26 - Tiny Landscape Painting

Maine Meadow

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on archival canvas panel

A little tiny landscape!
 I painted this on a tiny handmade acid-free canvas panel that I bought from 417canvassupply on Etsy and framed it with one of the wonderful handmade frames from RusticandRefined (also on Etsy). I sold a bunch of these little gems at the Apple Festival last weekend, so now I am making up a few for the Newburyport Art Association's gift shop. I was happy to see that a couple of my paintings in the gift shop had sold, so I dropped off some new work today.

Day 22 - Small Fruit Still Life

A Little Competition

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Day 22 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge! Hard to believe there is just over  a week left.
It has been a great exercise - not only in motivating me to get the work finished, but also in disciplining me to post each painting. I do intend on getting back to my "Inspiration Mondays" and "Work in Progress Wednesdays" once the challenge is over.

It has been a super crazy couple of weeks...lots of shows and deadlines all while the kids were trying to get back into the school routine and all of their activities. Yesterday was my last outdoor show for the season. I keep getting tempted to pick up one more, but I think I need to take a few weeks to catch up - and paint like crazy before the holidays are here. My local shops are all asking for new stock for next month, too - so I will still be pretty busy!

I did get to end my summer show schedule with a really great one. The Boxford Apple Festival yesterday was a lot of fun. It was a beautiful day, and wonderful to see so many familiar faces. Thank you to everyone who made it out.

A Little Competition is available here.

Day 20 and 21 - Two New Little Paintings

Autumn Leaf 2

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

Salsa Dance

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Is it cheating to post  both days at once?

I actually had the paintings done yesterday, but I had stayed up waaaaaaayyyyy too late getting ready for today's show. Now I am so exhausted that I can hardly string two sentences together. Hence the short post. I have to admit that I am so glad that this crazy week is now over!

Day 19 - Autumn Leaf ACEO Painting

Autumn Leaf 1

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

Yes, the first touches of fall.....
A couple autumn leaves (and a super-quick post) as I am trying to round out my display for this weekend's Apple Festival. Wish me luck!

Day 18 - Sauced - Small Apple Still Life Painting

Sauced

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Hard to believe it is Day 18 of the 30 Day Challenge! This month sure is flying by.....

I thought some apples would be appropriate for the upcoming Boxford Apple Festival. I've been absolutely addicted to our local apples the last few weeks. It's starting to feel like Fall around here!

Day 17 - Two Small Blueberry Paintings

Wild Blueberries 1

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

Wild Blueberries 2

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

acrylic on watercolor paper

Not one, but TWO paintings for Day 17. These botanicals are small and relatively quick. I wanted to have a few for the upcoming Boxford Apple Festival. I'm thinking about making a few sets of these in mats (think one blueberry painting, one strawberry, one raspberry, etc.) available for purchase around the holidays. What do you think?

The Apple Festival is this Saturday, September 21st. Hope you can drop by if you are near Boxford, Massachusetts!