Debbie Shirley Art: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

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......

Sunday, August 28, 2011

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!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

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.....

Monday, August 22, 2011

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 ;-)

Friday, August 19, 2011

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......

Thursday, August 18, 2011

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.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

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.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Mountain Meadow - Plein Air Sketch

Mountain Meadow

6x4 inches

acrylic on linen panel

We did a lot of hiking in Maine as usual this year, despite the rainy weather. My kids are all now big enough that they tend to leave me in the dust on mountain trips. One day, we got a break from the rain for a few hours, and while the kids and their cousins climbed a small mountain, I stayed down in the meadow to paint.

I didn't get a whole lot of painting time during our two weeks in Maine. I usually try to allow a few days to stick around camp alone to do some painting, but it just didn't happen this year with all the hiking and side trips planned. I think in future years I will end up doing more of this hiking in part way with the group like I did the day I did this painting, but then staying on one location to paint and joining back up with them on the way back. While I haven't been thrilled with the plein air work I did on this trip, it has been a great learning experience and I hope it will lead to improvement in future paintings.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Made in Maine - SOLD

Made in Maine

6x4 inches

acrylic on linen panel
SOLD

Another rainy day project from Maine......We had blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberry pie - so why not a blueberry painting?!

I hope to get a few of the landscapes I worked on in Maine posted over the next few days. They may not be quite finished work, but they were definitely learning experiences!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Blueberry Season SOLD

Blueberry Season

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
SOLD

Back from Maine!
And happy to be back in the world of electricity and flush toilets ;-)
(Although it is nice to be off the grid for a while!)
I am home - filthy, exhausted, bug-bitten, etc - and it may take a few days to get back up to speed here (not to mention catch up on all the laundry!) We did lots of hiking, some mountain climbing, a little swimming. The weather wasn't very cooperative - had some rain almost every day - but at least it was warm.

I did this little one on a rainy day. The blueberries were amazing this year - especially on the hills and mountains. I couldn't resist using them as a subject!

More to catch up on tomorrow......I am in desperate need of a hot shower ;-)