State Street - Architecture Cityscape Acrylic Painting of Newburyport by Debbie Shirley

State Street

12 x 16 inches

acrylic on canvas

I finally finished up some small changes that I wanted to  make on this painting, painted the edges and varnished and framed it. It's an angled view down State Street in downtown Newburyport, Massachusets.

It will be on exhibit during the Spring Members Show at the Newburyport Art Association  from April 8 - April 30th with an opening reception on April 9, 7-9pm.

Day 7 - Quiet Beach Tiny Seascape Painting

Quiet Beach

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on archival canvas panel

Okay, it actually early in the morning on Day 8 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge, but who's counting, right? I had this one done ahead of time and ready to post, but the family came up to the end of the Haverhill River Ruckus last night so we stayed to watch the fireworks. By the time I got home, unloaded the car from the show and then processed my credit card sales (yes, I know, I need a Square!) I was just too tired to post. So you will end up getting two posts today!

This is another tiny little painting. I got these great acid free handmade canvas panels from Springfield Canvas Supply. These are wonderful, great for traveling and plein air work - I got a few different sizes to try them out and they are so much  better quality than typical canvas panels. I am making these little 3 x 3 paintings available framed in a black wood frame with a one inch border. I need to take photos with the frames, because they are adorable  ;-)

Anyways, the framed piece is available here. And now to move on to Day 8......

Day 5 - On the Golden Road - tiny landscape

On the Golden Road

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on archival canvas panel

A tiny little landscape for Day 5 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge. I love these tiny hand made panels, and I have some wonderful hand made 3 x 3 frames to put them in! I have great fun doing these tiny pieces from time to time. The 30 Day Painting Challenge helps me remember that it is okay to sneak in these little tiny ones from time to time  - they help me to keep up with the challenge, plus they are a lot of fun to paint.

Busy, busy week/weekend, Dropping off work for three different shows, plus the Haverhill River Ruckus this weekend. Bittersweet, too - as the kids head back to school and summer break is officially over.....

This tiny original is available here.

To Find a Friend - Small Still Life Painting

To Find a Friend

4x4 inches

acrylic on canvas

Working on a few small canvases to take to West Village Provisions for this weekend's Winter Festival. There will be all kinds of fun activities.....kind of an old-fashioned New England kind of celebration - and I will have some of my work at West Village Provisions if you happen to drop by.

Blog Mention - Exhibition Critique

"Bountiful"

2x2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

on exhibit

I am thrilled to have a wonderful write up in the blog for The Renaissance Gallery in Huntington, WV!
It is very exciting to be called an "accomplished miniaturist," especially when I feel like such a beginner. I currently have three pieces in their Annual Miniature Exhibition (running through December 12th). It's a wonderful show and I look forward to it each year. Please check out the blog if you have a chance!

[Adding the link again here: http://renaissancegalleryart.blogspot.com/2011/12/debbie-shirley.html?spref=bl
for the people who couldn't find it!!]

Events this Weekend!

Bountiful

2x2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

available at The Renaissance Art Gallery, Huntington West Virginia

through  December 11, 2011

Busy, busy time of year!

Two big events for me this weekend.....

Saturday night, November 5th is the Wine and Art Reception at Veasey Memorial Park, Groveland, Massachusetts. Details can be found here.

Sunday, November 6th is the opening reception for 11th Annual International Miniature Exhibition at The Renaissance Art Gallery in Huntington, West Virginia from 2-4pm. The show runs through December 11th. Details can be found here.

By the Tracks - One More Miniature

By the Tracks

2 x 2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
available matted and framed in my Etsy shop

I was determined to give miniature landscapes another try, so here is a tiny one of a track crossing in Stacyville, Maine. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the two landscapes. I think I will frame everything, and give it a few days before deciding!

The Topsfield Fair opens next weekend. I didn't get THE CALL to come pick my work up, so I assume that everything got juried in. I won't know for sure until after the opening on Friday. I am both nervous and excited to see how the exhibit looks. It is a HUGE fair and runs for 10 days, so it gets a ton of traffic. I also have 18 pieces for sale in their Art Room - it will be interesting to see if anyone actually buys art at this kind of exhibit. Keeping my fingers crossed!

A New Miniature - To Keep...or Not?!

Millbrook Farm

2x3 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

I really wanted to include a landscape with this group of miniatures for the upcoming miniature exhibition, so I returned to one of my favorite local haunts, Millbrook Farm Conservation Area in Boxford, Massachusetts. I did a very similar painting as a 4x6 - one of my first plein air pieces this spring. I'm not too sure about this little one - it didn't turn out quite how I wanted. I have one more landscape idea in mind for a miniature, so I will give it a try today. And then it will be decision time......

Lumberman's Lantern - Miniature Painting

Lumberman's Lantern

3.5 x 2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Just putting the finishing touches on another miniature.....it's amazing how long the detail can take on these little guys! But my eyes are telling me it is time to take a little break from these, so I will work on some other paintings for the next few days......I still have a few weeks before the miniatures are due for the show.

This is a rusty old lantern hanging next to a door at a "logging camp" at the Lumberman's Museum in Patten, Maine. The museum has wonderful exhibits about the history of logging in Maine and an amazing number of old tools and equipment from the old camps. I took hundreds of pictures there this summer and plan on doing a series of paintings about some of the tools.

Street Shadows

Street Shadows

3x2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another miniature for the upcoming miniatures exhibition. It's hard to get these little guys to scan well! I am enjoying doing these tiny pieces - it is going to feel weird to go back to 4x6 again!

This was a wonderful little scene from Salem, Massachusetts. We were just wandering around, going down some little alleys and behind buildings and I loved the way the dappled sunlight lit up the corner of the building and brought out all the colors.

(Please forgive me if the formatting on this post is a little wonky....I'm trying out blogspot's "new interface"  ;-)

Bountiful

Bountiful

2x2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Yes, you read that right - 2x2 inches! My smallest piece yet  ;-)

Here it is next to a penny for a sense of scale.

I'm getting ready for an upcoming miniatures show and decided to try one even smaller than my normal work. I've got a few more pieces to go, but I expect that this one will be the smallest!