Little Gems - Small Still Life Painting Kitchen Art and New Gallery

Little Gems

4 x 4  inches

acrylic on cradled panel

A couple of little pieces of "kitchen art" over the next few days. I enjoy painting these little guys - playing with composition and color in a format that lets me finish them up quickly. These wood panels are nice, too. They have a 3/4" cradle, so they can hang nicely on the wall without a frame, but can also sit on a shelf, too. I buy them online from either Cheap Joes or DickBlick depending on the size.

My customers seem to like them, too! They seem to sell quickly at most of the gift shops where I have work. I hope they will sell well at fall shows, too. I may even try to get them into a few more shops, who knows?!

Speaking of shops, I have work going into a new gallery this week. It is a wonderfully quirky little place in Ipswich, Massachusetts called Zenobia. Lots of local work, fun and  unusual gift items and wonderful art. I'm excited to be showing there! Be sure to check it out if you are on the North Shore....

Get Right Back - Small Still Life Painting, Colorful Kitchen Art

Get Right Back

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" panel

Aha - more cherry tomatoes, right?!! I like this composition - another one that I would like to try larger. This is the last piece donated to the local Parent Teacher Organization silent auction. I hope it found a good home.

A few days of a lull...and just when I think I have it under control, things get kinda crazy again! Do you ever have weeks like that? A whole lot of commissions under way (yay!) and a few deadlines moved up - I'm gonna be one busy gal for the next few weeks!

On Blue - Small Acrylic Painting, Kitchen Art Still Life Painting

On Blue

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" cradled panel

I love the clementine on the bright blue plate. Something about those complementary colors! I keep finding myself going back to the blue plate or a blue bowl when I set up still lifes with orange fruit. I will have to try to get myself to try something different....

I have been prepping some more panels today - some slightly larger sizes and some long rectangles. I have an idea for something I want to try out on a 6 x 12 inch panel - and it is not a fruit or vegetable!

This painting also went to the local Parent Teacher Organization for a silent auction. The event was last night, so I look forward to hearing how these little guys did  ;-) I love these colors and may try out this composition in a slightly larger format - maybe on a canvas? We will see.....

I Will Wait - Small Acrylic Painting, Fruit Still Life Kitchen Art

I Will Wait

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" cradled panel

Back to some more of the kitchen art pieces. So many things to paint, so little time! I am hoping to do enough of these 4x4 panels to spread around a little to my local shops, but they are disappearing pretty quickly. I have a couple of commissions to work on, so after a finish a few more of these, I will have to take a break from them for a little bit.

This is one of three that I am donating to the local PTO for a silent auction to raise funds for our local schools. And speaking of fundraising - a great crowd came out last night to the Spring into Summer Handmade Market and Art Show raising funds for Team Anthony (http://www.teamanthonyfund.org)

For those of you are who are not local, I will continue to donate a percentage of sales from my Etsy shop through the end of the weekend (until May 5). Thank you for your support!

Roll with Me - Small Acrylic Painting, Kitchen Art Still Life 4x4

Roll with Me

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" cradled panel

Yep, very similar to one I have done before! I was working from a series of sketches of ideas from my Fun-A-Day Project, and I didn't even realize I had worked from the same sketch before! I think I held on to it because I wanted to do a larger one, but in the meanwhile I now have another 4x4  ;-)
No matter - the other one is already gone anyways! I will be doing  8-10 new 4x4 paintings over the next few weeks inspired by my Fun-A-Day Project to go to 3-4 different galleries/shops that have requested them.

And speaking of my Fun-A-Day Project, a number of pieces sold at the show in Cambridge and I have just gotten the rest of them back. They are available in my DailyPaintworks gallery, and I am slowly adding them one-by-one to my Etsy shop.

Slide Over - Small Still Life Painting, Kitchen Art Fun-A-Day Project

Slide Over

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Well, I'm down to the last two Fun-A-Day paintings. This has been a very rewarding project! I plan to continue it in some capacity. And some of my favorites are going to be done in larger sizes due to popular demand  ;-)

The Fun-A-Day Boston show will be at Voltage Coffee & Art in Kendall Square (Cambridge, Massachusetts) from February 17th through April 5th, with an opening reception on Friday February 21st, 7-9pm. There are some wonderfully creative people involved - I can't wait to see all the projects!

First Quarter - Small Still Life Painting, Vintage Kitchen Fun-A-Day Project

First Quarter

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Hoping to get the rest of the Fun-A-Day Paintings posted this weekend? I guess we will see - it never seems to work out as planned  ;-)

This is number 28 (more Fiestaware!).....3 more to go!

And here is my collage for the 30 Day Painting Challenge. Yes, this shows only 25 - I can't figure out how to make it show all 30! Does anyone know how to make collages in Picmonkey?

Connected - Small Kitchen Art Still Life Painting Fun-A-Day Project

Connected

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Day 26 of my Fun-A-Day Project and Day 29 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge! What a month! I am working on a slightly larger painting for a commission which just may make it as Day 30. My last few Fun-A-Day paintings may get posted as we enter February, but they are ready....

The Fun-A-Day Boston exhibit has been set for February 17th through April 5th in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Details coming soon.....

Round and Round - Small Painting Kitchen Art Fun-A-Day Project

Round and Round

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Contrasting colors of fiestaware on a fun polka-dotted pattern...can you tell I have fun setting these up?!
I am trying to resist the urge to go visiting any antique or consignment shops to look for more fiestaware-type pieces. It is too much fun to go on the hunt! I need to have a studio with walls of shelves for props - then maybe I could justify buying more. Until then, I am pretty much out of space  ;-)

Getting close to the end of the month - I will need to catch up on all my posts for the Fun-A-Day Project and the 30 Paintings in 30 Days - and I will be starting some new projects for February, so I hope you will check back in soon. Thank you for looking at my work!

Orbital - Small Kitchen Still Life Painting Vintage Dishware Fun-A-Day Project

Orbital

3x3 inches

acrylic on canvas

A stack of dishes....am I strange for painting a stack of dishes? I just loved all the colors and the shapes and shadows.....made me think of the rings around Saturn somehow  ;-)

The bowl on top, the "radioactive red" dish, and the cobalt blue on the bottom are all fiestaware - the others are something more current. I go for color and shape in my collection - not necessarily the brand, so I have quite a mix. Keeps it interesting!

This is for Day 17 of the Fun-A-Day Project....the month sure is flying by quickly....

Encircled - Small Still Life Painting Kitchen Art Fun-A-Day

Encircled

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Here is the Day 14 painting for my Fun-A-Day project. Yes,I know it should be Day 16...but I can't seem to coordinate the painting, scanning, and posting. I am still behind on the posting part, but hope to get caught up soon!

And after talking to with my various shops & galleries, there is a lot of interest in these little kitchen paintings! These actual paintings won't be available until after the Boston Fun-A-Day exhibit, but in the meanwhile, I will be painting a bunch of slightly larger pieces on various materials to sell locally. If you  have any special requests, just let me know. I am taking a few commissions as well.

I hope to take a group picture of what I have so far soon, but in the meanwhile you can check out my Fun-A-Day Flickr set to see what paintings  have been completed to date.

Collected - Small Still Life Painting Kitchen Art Fun-A-Day

Collected

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Okay - I admit it. I love, love colorful mismatched dinnerware. I especially have a thing for the old Fiestaware. Also Riviera and Harlequin and all that wonderful pottery of the 30's - 50's.

I have quite a few bits and pieces - some more vintage than other, some contemporary - but all colorful. I don't use a lot of it on the table, but I do like to display it, and love to paint pictures of it.

Now I've admitted my obsession....what is yours??!!