Mischief - Small Acrylic Painting of Mr Potatohead

Mischief

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on mdf panel

Doing a mix of little pieces for shops and some bigger pieces for exhibitions. Keeps me on my toes!
This little piece is available at Zenobia in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Gotta keep going back to the Mr. Potatohead. Each one has such a distinct personality - makes it so much fun to paint!

I am pretty much moved into my new studio - still some little things to be done, but I am pretty swamped with work, so I can't take any more down time. It will all get done eventually - right?!!

Duck Down - Small Acrylic Painting of a Rubber Ducky

Duck Down

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF board

available at Zenobia 

A few little cuties for one of my gallery shops. The rubber ducks have been popular!

My computer is giving me fits, hence I have been blogging less, but I am still painting lots and will have some larger pieces to show very soon......

Pokey - Small Acrylic Still LIfe Painting of a Toy

Pokey

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

It's Pokey - Gumby's skeptical little friend. I am having fun with these - I will be sad when the month is over!

Greeting - Mini Potatohead Still Life Painting

Greeting

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

Yes, I keep going back to Mr. Potatohead. I actually debated doing my entire challenge just Mr. Potatohead - really, 31 days of Potatoheads! But I figured even my MOST loyal followers would give up long before that was over with.....

This painting is part of my Fun-a-Day project and 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Here are the first 6 being varnished:

Lollipop Woods - Mini Painting from a Vintage Game Board

Lollipop Woods

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

Gotta love Candyland! I found it pretty mind-numbing to play with my boys, but I always loved the graphics on the game board and the cards with the colored squares. I was so disappointed when I bought the game for my kids that the game board had changed so much from when I was little. When I first decided that I wanted to paint a little scene from Candyland, I was lucky enough to have a friend with a vintage board which she lent me for a photo shoot.

This painting is part of my Fun-A-Day project, as well as the 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Downstream - Mini Painting of a Rubber Ducky

Downstream

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

Another rubber ducky for my Fun-A-Day project! Gotta keep on swimming.....

Joe - Small Still Life Painting from a Classic Board Game

Joe

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

A smaller, squarer version of the "Cowboy Joe" painting from a few days back. This one is part of my Fun-a-Day project where I am painting a 3x3" painting of a classic toy or game. Cowboy Joe is a piece from the old Chutes and Ladders game. I borrowed a couple of vintage board games from a friend - the graphics on the ones from the 60's-70's are far better than the modern version!

Ric - Mini Still Life Painting of Classic Toy

Ric

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

I have fallen behind on my Fun-A-Day posts.... I will have to get caught up here somewhere...

And if you follow me at all, you know that this "Fun & Games" series will have to contain not only many Mr. Potatoheads, but a number of Lego guys as well! I have a Cars song stuck in my head tonight, hence the name "Ric" (yes, I have odd ways of coming up with my titles!)

Drive - Small Acrylic Painting of Classic Toys

Drive

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

Day 6. I tell you - this month is going to fly by! I have a larger painting due in a few days, so I am splitting my time here a bit. And, yes, this painting of Fisher Price Little People will be done as a larger paint....I've already sketched it out!

St. James - Mini Painting from Vintage Game Board

St. James

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

Hey, I don't know about you guys, but I am sure having fun with this Fun-A-Day series! This is for Day 5, and I am getting all kinds of ideas for larger paintings from these....

Your Move - Mini Painting from a Vintage Board Game

Your Move

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

"Moving " along on my Fun-A-Day project and the Painting Challenge. An old Parchessi board makes for some fun abstract art!

Dotty Duckie - Rubber Ducky Mini Painting

Dotty Duckie

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

A little rubber ducky for Day 2. So many ideas floating in my head for this series....I think it will be a really fun way to start the New Year!

First Challenge Day - Looking Forward Mini Painting

Looking Forward

3 x 3 inches

acrylic on 1/2" MDF block

Well, I do know that is it actually the SECOND day of January, but I really wanted to squeeze in yesterday's post, so I am posting for my challenges a little bit late.....

This January, I am participating in BOTH the Fun-A-Day project and Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - kinda killing two birds with one stone, right?

The 30 Paintings in 30 Days is exactly as it sounds - around 1,000 artists from all over the world have signed up with a goal of completing 30 paintings in 30 days. I have done this challenge in the past and have found it to be a great way to jump start my year.

The Fun-A-Day Project is just a really fun and creative way to see what other artists are up to. People all over the country pledge to do something fun and creative each day in January, document it somehow, and then participate in a show creatively exhibiting their project. People paint, write poetry, draw on bananas, take pictures of strangers in coffee houses, do landscape art, creative stitchery, all kinds of incredibly fun and different "creative" acts. It is really neat to follow along online to see what people come up with! I've exhibited with a great group in Boston for the last three years - I am looking forward to seeing what projects are done this year. Mine always seem kind of boring in comparison to some of the others, but they mean a lot to me and I have fun doing them (which is the point, right?!). This year, my project is called "Fun and Games" and I am doing little paintings each day on 3 x 3 x 1/2" MDF blocks of classic toys and games. I am sure I will repeat some subjects - like Mr, Potatohead, of course - but I already have a ton of ideas and can't wait to get going on this. I am kind of informally planning to do 33 3x3" paintings and eventually exhibit them at one of the Haverhill Art Markets as well.

Of course I will  be keeping up my regular exhibition schedule with all of this, so there is a lot of painting to be done. I have also just found out that I will be needing to move out of my studio space suddenly, so if someone knows of a small space with cheap rent in Haverhill, Massachusetts, please get in touch with me  :-(

So - here is to starting off 2016 full of fun and lots of painting!!

Skips - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign

Wish You Were Here Project

"Skip's"

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Just a small part of a wonderful sign at Skip's Hamburgers in Merrimac, Massachusetts. I've tried a few different crops of the sign, trying to decide on some ideas for another larger piece.

Clam Box - Small Acrylic Painting by Debbie Shirley

"Wish You Were Here" Project

Clam  Box

Ipswich, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper

SOLD

Mmmmm.....clams.........

Plaza Motel - Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign

"Wish You Were Here"

Plaza Motel

Peabody, Massachusetts

6 x 4", acrylic on watercolor paper

I wanted to do a re-do on this sign with out the neon being pink! Considering a larger version of part of this sign.....

Joes - Small Postcard Painting at Salisbury Beach by Debbie Shirley

"Wish You Were Here"

Joes

Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

The clown was too much fun to resist.....and the building has such a dated quality with the primary colored panels. I assume they are covering windows? I may have to do a little research to see if I can find old pictures of the building to see if it always looked that way. I was just down at Salisbury Beach last week for a show and took more pictures, so hopefully more paintings from there soon!

The Fun-A-Day Boston exhibit where these paintings were shown is now over. I should have them back int he studio soon and they will be available for sale.

Tripoli - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign Salisbury Beach

"Wish You Were Here"

Tripoli

Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Love the letters on this colorful sign at Salisbury Beach. Once again, I feel like there must be a better crop, so I am sure I will be playing with this sign again.

These pieces from my Fun-A-Day project will be on exhibit for one more week at the Aviary Gallery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

Skips - Small Acrylic Painting of Vintage Neon Sign

"Wish You Were Here"

Skip's

Merrimac, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another painting of the Skip Hamburgers sign in Merrimac, Massachusetts. I love the arrow on the sign,  but decided to try a crop of more of the left edge. Still not exactly working the way that I want it to, so I am sure I will be painting the sign again sometime.

This piece is now hanging along with 18 other little paintings of mine as well as the very clever projects from other members of Fun-a-Day Boston. More information about the exhibition here.

Ferns - Small Acrylic Painting of Motel Sign by Debbie Shirley

"Wish You Were Here"

Ferns

Saugus, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

I believe this is the 20th piece that I did for the Fun-A-Day Project. The Boston area show is coming up in the next few weeks and I will have a number of these pieces in the exhibit. Some have them have already sold, but the rest will be available through the Aviary Gallery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts for the duration of the show.