"On the Outside" - Commissioned Still Life Painting of Tomatoes

"On the Outside"

8 x 8 inches

acrylic on canvas

SOLD

Commissioned painting

Stay - Small Acrylic Painting Colorful Still Life

Stay

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Still playing with combinations of colors and patterns. Think this one looked better in my head! It is currently available at Zenobia in Ipswich.

Before the Gold - Small Acrylic Painting Kitchen Art by Debbie Shirley

Before the Gold

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Fun with colors and patterns!
Available at Zenobia Gallery in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Slightly Crunchy - Acrylic Painting Still Life of Celery

Slightly Crunchy

12 x 16 inches

acrylic on canvas

This is the second piece that was accepted into the Newburyport Art Association Winter Members Juried Show. I had such a good time painting celery a few months ago for a commission, I decided to give it a go a little larger! The exhibition runs through the end of the month.

Celery - Commissioned Acrylic Painting Kitchen Art

Celery

10 x 10 inches

acrylic on cradled panel 

This was the third of four panels done for a recent commission. The couple had decided on vegetables to decorate a spot in their kitchen. They picked out tomatoes and peppers from some paintings I had done previously. When the client said "celery!", I wasn't really sure how it would work out. But it was actually a lot of fun once I decided on a lay out! And with all the purples and ochres and turquoises among the greens it did a great job of pulling out other colors in the client's room. So I may end up giving celery another shot some time soon ;-)

Cherry Rounds - Small Still Life Painting - Kitchen Art

Cherry Rounds

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

acrylic on various wood/MDF surfaces

A little experiment......
I want to create some really small paintings for some shops and maybe upcoming shows. I really  liked working on the 3x3 size that I used for my Fun-A-Day Project, but I would like a better surface.

I purchased a few samples on Etsy: one is a pine block, one is canvas mounted on pine and one is MDF board (they all have hanging slots on the back). When the samples came, I thought I would definitely prefer the pine blocks. I coated them with 2 thin coats of GAC, then three thin coats of gesso, sanding in between. At that point, I was starting to lean a little more towards the block with the mounted canvas. Then I painted. They each took paint in a different way -  no clear winner at this stage.  But then when I varnished them....wow! I was very surprised to find how much I liked the MDF panel. So the first batch of these little guys with be on MDF - stay tuned to see more.....

(the winner!)

Hole in One - Small Acrylic Still Life Painting, Kitchen Art

Hole in One

4 x 4  inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Another new piece of kitchen art. The pepper is in one of my favorite vintage bowls. The little bowl is kind of a mustardy yellow and has subtle ridges going around it. It is not Fiestaware, but is probably of the same era.

This painting will be heading to Zenobia in Ipswich, Massachusetts later this week. A few of these little guys to finish up so I can get back to my signs & buildings!

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....

Three of a Kind - Small Still Life Painting Kitchen Art tomatoes

Three of a Kind

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on gessobord panel

Yes, I've been quiet for the last few days. We went away for a long family weekend. I do have a bunch of paintings done that I had hoped to schedule posts for while I was away, but I didn't get a chance to get that done, so now this week I will play catch up!

We spent the weekend hiking in the Delaware Water Gap and then visiting Gettysburg. We could have spent a lot more time in both places! I took a bunch of photos, but not nearly as many as I should have.

This little still life is similar to a composition I have visited before. I find that sometimes I will re-visit a set up I have used previously - sometimes changing the size or the way I approach it, sometimes just seeing  how I change things when I do it again. It is always interesting to me to see what I have learned and what has changed in my work - and is especially obvious when using a composition I have used before.

This painting is available at Positive Images Gallery in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Full Circle Round - Small Still Life Painting Original Art for Kitchen

Full Circle Round

4 x 4 inches

acrylic on 3/4" cradled panel

Okay, cherry tomatoes must be one of the most fun things to paint ever. Yes, I know I've said that about a lot of different things. I guess that is what keeps me painting day after day - thinking each thing I am working on is the most enjoyable thing......

Family Ties - Small Still Life Acrylic Painting for Kitchen Decor

Family Ties

5 x 7 inches 

acrylic on gessobord panel

Just a quick post as I finish up this little painting.......
This painting is heading to "Flavors from the Farm", a fundraising event for the Boxford Town Library.

In Conversation - Small Still Life Painting Kitchen Art

In Conversation

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Yes, I haven't added to this series in a while......I hope to get around to it soon before show season starts. This painting is for a client who is making a grouping of these for her kitchen and wanted another pepper painting.

I got a sweet email today from the person who purchased my contribution to the #twitterartexhibit in Orlando this weekend. So glad that my little painting was able to help raise money for such a worthy cause!

At Rest - Mini Still Life Painting Kitchen Art Fun-A-Day Project

At Rest

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Lots of family stuff today, so just a quick post to add this little painting - Day 21 for my Fun-A-Day kitchen painting project, and Day 24 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge. You can see all my Fun-A-Day paintings so far here.

More to add tomorrow!

Pick a Pepper - Small Still Life Painting Kitchen Art Fun-A-Day Boston

Pick a Pepper 

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on canvas

Working away on my Fun-A-Day Project....a 3 x 3 inch painting of something from my kitchen during each day in January. This is my painting for Day 7.

All of my kids (and my husband and I) enjoy spicy food. One of my kids favorite things to do at the Farmers' Market is to pick out a new kind of pepper. Local farms always have such a colorful array of peppers - so many different colors and shapes - it is always an adventure to try something new. Now that the season for local produce is over, one of my sons picked out this pepper at the grocery store. We will have to see if it packs a punch!

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)

Chit Chat - Small Acrylic Painting of Red & Yellow Peppers - Kitchen Art

Chit Chat

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another one for the Relationships Series. These two peppers just seem like they are sharing a little gossip, don't they? I'm having so much fun with my fruits and vegetables, I may have to do some more when I finish the commission I am currently working on.

Summer craziness has set in - way too busy a schedule for summer lately! Isn't this when we are supposed to slow down a little and take it easy? Oh well, maybe next week.

This piece is currently available at West Village Provisions in West Boxford, Massachusetts.

Whispers - Still Life Acrylic Painting Kitchen Art

Whispers

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

It's Farmer's Market time again!

By the way, look at my haul from today:

I love, love buying fresh from the farmer!
(And I think there may be more vegetable paintings in the future......)

I actually painted this one while in Ohio. It is part of my "Relationship Series" - fruits and vegetables that make great kitchen art. This series has been especially popular at my shows, and at the last show I had a request for "MORE VEGETABLES"! I am only too happy to oblige  ;-)

This piece will be available at West Village Provisions in West Boxford, Massachusetts later this week.

Making Plans - $30 (unframed) + $2.50 shipping in the US

(please contact me for international shipping)

Frolicking - Acrylic Still Life Painting of Tomatoes Kitchen Art SOLD

Frolicking

4x6 inches

acrylic on canvas
SOLD

These tomatoes just looked like they were having a good time, the little green tendrils of their stems kinda took on a life of their own.....

Conversation - Small Painting Food Art Still Life SOLD

Conversation

4x6 inches

acrylic on canvas
SOLD

I wonder what these two are chatting about? They seem to me to be up to something....

I am looking forward to hopefully finishing a bunch of these small canvases for my upcoming holiday shows. I am also going back and forth with working on a few commissions for classic car paintings (a great holiday gift idea, right ?- hint, hint!) - I hope to have some works in progress to post soon.

Making Plans - Kitchen Art Still Life Painting on Paper

Making Plans

6x4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Just a  little side trip back to my Relationships Series....I wanted to send a few of these to the Creative Haverhill holiday shop, and I realized that I only had one left in this series! So I decided to do one more to make a pair (but I think I will probably be doing more of these for one of the upcoming holiday shows!)

Anyways, today I took this and about a dozen other paintings and some notecard packets to TheShops@90Wash - a great holiday pop-up shop set up by Creative Haverhill in a downtown storefront. It's a great space - I'm really excited to be a part of it! I hope you will check it out if you are local - opening November 1, 2012 at 90 Washington Street in Haverhill, Massachusetts.