Connection!

Connection

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
on exhibit

It's been a crazy week! Been out hiking with the kids and dog every day, trying to squeeze in every bit of summer before the boys are back in school next week. Found a number of great places to return to for painting hopefully once school starts.

This little one is for a local display. I plan to do a slightly larger one with a similar set up in a square format next week for the Help the Children of Africa Challenge on DailyPaintworks.com

The paperwork went out for the Fair entries - so now I'm committed  ;-) Got a lot of matting and framing to get done so I can turn in all the entries next week......

Into the Light - SOLD

Into the Light

5x5 inches

acrylic on gessobord panel
SOLD

Finally done with this one...I think! I plan to look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow and see if I need to make any changes.

It's been a busy couple of days - but we spent today hunkered down indoors as Hurricane Irene came to town. We were fortunate - lots of debris in the yard, but no real damage. The power went on and off all day, but fortunately it never stayed off for very long.

I'm thinking about entering this painting and maybe one other in the Topsfield Fair. It will be the first time I try to enter. I'm a little intimidated by the whole process - I have to enter as a "professional" (!) but I also get the opportunity to sell some pieces in the "Art Room" if I get juried in. So I expect I will spend the next few days doing some framing and getting some entries ready. It should be interesting!

Across the Field - Landscape Painting by Debbie Shirley SOLD

Across the Fields

4x6 inches

acrylic on canvas
SOLD

Another Maine field landscape. I love the way the goldenrod lines the roads this time of year, with other wildflowers adding little pops of color.

I could not resist buying a little bunch of sunflowers yesterday.....I am starting to see them blossoming out in the fields around here - time to go on a picture taking expedition I think! Anyways, as I am sitting here looking at this bunch of sunflowers, I am realizing the next landscape painting will be on hold for a little while....these flowers are calling me.....

Crossing Cherries - SOLD

Crossing Cherries

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
SOLD

Busy weekend with the family! We spent a long, hot Saturday at Canobie Lake Park. My kids have now officially all grown out of the kiddie rides. This is the first year my youngest was tall enough to ride the roller coasters! This is an older amusement park - built in the early 1900's. Until recently it still had a lot of the old-time charm - and I loved taking outings there to take tons of pictures to use for future painting references. When my husband first took me there early in our marriage - about 20 years ago (!) - the place was pretty run down. They have been fixing it up a lot since then and it has become more popular again. This year it looked like almost everything was new or freshly painted. While the kids love it, it has lost a little of the kitschy charm for me! I guess I will  have to rely on the upcoming local fairs for my reference material this year.

Anyhow, I took another break from Maine landscapes to paint these cherries while they were still fresh. These have been some of the largest and sweetest cherries I have had in a long time! Fun to paint, too  ;-)

Summer Field - SOLD

Summer Field

4x6 inches

acrylic on linen panel
SOLD

Oh, the landscapes of Maine are still so vivid in my head...so many things I want to paint, so little time......

Morning Coffee - SOLD

Morning Coffee

5x7 inches

acrylic on canvas
SOLD

Yes, I had a bit of fun with this one!
I should be finishing up a landscape, but I really wanted to do an entry for DailyPaintworks.com "Paint Your Mug Challenge". You see I really have a strong attachment to many of my mugs - they are like comfort objects to me. My favorite depends on my mood and what I am drinking. Some of them bring back memories of people or places, some of them just feel good to hold in my hands. So I really wanted to do some sort of still life with one of my mugs in a setting that reflected the "comfort" they give me. Well, I was having a hard time coming up with a set up that pleased me. I had placed the mug on a blue plate while I was thinking about what to try next and I just happened to look down on it from above. With the way the light came through the window - and I saw the shapes and the shadows and the colors - I was positively giddy and knew I had to paint it right then even though it was a bit of a departure from my normal work.

By The Shore - Plein Air Sketch

By the Shore

6x4 inches

acrylic on canvas panel

I worked on this one while sitting in a "tin tub" tied to the dock near my inlaws' camp on Shin Pond in northern Maine. I wanted to capture the light on the water - it was a cloudy day and the light changed so quickly that I had a really hard time of it. I think I also needed to change my position a little - I think this painting needs some sky  ;-) Once again - I'm not pleased with the outcome, but it was a good learning experience.