Summer Recap!

Burgers

18 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas

(exhibited at the Rhythm Cafe, Merrimac, MA until September 7)

What a crazy summer it has been!

It started off with a bunch of shows, continuing from my very busy spring season and including a bunch of new venues. Then a move to a new studio (more info coming on that soon). And a 2 month solo show locally at Rhythm Cafe in Merrimac, Massachusetts (the show continues until September 7th if you want to stop by for a great meal and fun art!).

I was also featured in a new local newspaper called "Haverhill Life". How fun it was to read what a local gallery owner had to say about my work - and the connections that people make to its nostalgic nature. Click on the picture below to see the article a little larger and more readable.

Fall season is starting to gear up with a couple of exhibits and shows - so be sure to follow me on Facebook (or check out the "Events" page on my website) to keep up with my current events. And don't forget to subscribe to my email newsletter to hear about new shows and to get the first peeks at my work as it comes off the easel!

Motel - Small Acrylic Painting Old Neon Sign

Motel

5 x 7 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Yet another visit to one of my favorite signs in Ipswich, Massachusetts, the old Whittier Motel sign. The neon has fairly recently been replaced with plastic back lit lettering, and the art deco base removed and replaced with two white pillars. Not quite the same  ;-(

However, thanks to a featured artist show at Zenobia Gallery (just down the street from the Whittier), this painting has sold. And there will be a whole bunch more Whittier pieces coming up as I took in quite a few commissions as a result of the show.

Interested in a painting of the Whittier for your own collection? Contact me!

Hilltop - Small Acrylic Painting of Iconic Hillltop Steak House Sign.

Hilltop

7 x 5 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

SOLD

Why so many Hilltop paintings? The Hilltop Steakhouse was such a popular restaurant - with such an iconic sign. The sign is fun to paint - and is recognizable instantly by anyone who had ever lived or visited the North Shore. Since the restaurant was just demolished recently, the place and its memories are still fresh in people's minds. I think people really want to remember this place - and there is unlikely to be anything quite like it again. Generations of local families celebrated their special occasions there - I love hearing people's stories when they see on of my Hilltop paintings at a show.

This painting has sold  - but if you are interested in a small Hilltop painting for your own home (or office) - please contact me for more information!

Marty's Donut Land - Acrylic Painting of Iconic Storefront in Ipswich, Massachusetts by Debbie Shirley

Marty's

7 x 5 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

SOLD

I have painted Marty's Donut Land before.....it has since been bought out and changed hands. There are a lot of Ipswich people who have fond memories of Marty's - of the fresh hot donuts, right out of the fryer, that you had to show up for very, very early (or late for the party crowd) and get before the sun rose. I have had a bunch of requests for more, so I am doing some more small paintings - slightly different crops and orientations - so that people can have a piece of Ipswich history for their own. Please contact me if you would like a Marty's painting to capture some of your own memories.

Final Season - Acrylic Painting of Neon Miniature Golf Sign Route 1, Saugus, Massachusetts

Final Season

18 x 18 inches

acrylic on canvas

A beloved site on Route One in Saugus, Massachusetts was demolished this fall. Know as the "mini golf place with the big orange dinosaur", Route One Miniature Golf was torn down to make way for condominiums and retail shops. Due to popular demand, they left the orange dinosaur standing - which looks a bit funny now on the edge of a vacant lot. Not sure how they will utilize him in the new development, but we will have to see.

While a painting of the orange dinosaur will probably occur in the future, I had to paint the sign first, while it was still standing. A colorful combination of neon and light bulbs, the sign had some great shapes. I know this place holds memories for many people on the north shore and I hope sharing this glimpse of the sign will help capture thoughts of those past fun times and special occasions.

Clam Box Painting - Small Acrylic Painting of Iconic Clam Shack Ipswich, Massachusetts

Clam Box

(Ipswich, Massachusetts)

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

SOLD

The Iconic Clam Box in Ipswich, Massachusetts! An interesting building - shaped like a take-out box. Love the red and white accents - and of course, the fried clams. Stop by on a warm summer evening, and the line goes all the way around the building. A place not to be missed by visitors to the area.

It is a fun building to paint - I am always trying to find a slightly different angle or crop to it. This is a popular subject with my customers, so I do end up painting it a lot! If you are interested in a "Clam Box" painting of your own. please contact me!

Caffe Sicilia - Small Acrylic Painting of a Local Cafe Gloucester, Massachusetts

Caffe Sicilia

(Gloucester, Massachusetts)

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

available at Pop Gallery

This charming little cafe is across the street from one of the galleries that carries my work. Pop Gallery is an awesome boutique right on Main Street in downtown Gloucester. It has evolved from a mostly art pop-up shop into a charming and quirky shop with stuff you won't find elsewhere - really fun clothing and unique accessories including the work of some local artists. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to paint a few of the downtown businesses that locals would recognize for Pop to include on their pink wall and I have always loved the shape of this little corner building.

Plaza Motel - Acrylic Painting of a Motel and Neon Sign

Plaza Motel

12 x 16 inches

acrylic on canvas

Going back to Route 1 for another seedy motel. Route 1 used to have a ton of these sketchy places - each one complete with a neon sign, and other signs about their color tvs, air conditioners, hot tubs and other amenities. Many of these motels have been razed in the last five years and a few big chain hotels have taken their place. The few motels that are left along this stretch of road no longer have neon signs. This was one of the last neon signs to go - it has been recently been replaced by a backlit box sign. The neon will be missed!

Prince Pizza Painting and a Winter Tropical Paint-In

Prince Restaurant

12 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled board

SOLD

This was a new sign for me - the "leaning tower of pizza" on Route 1 - Prince Restaurant. The painting was a commission piece for someone whose family was involved in the making of the original sign. I have since done a smaller version of the sign - contact me for availability if you are interested!

Today was the first Sunday of this year's "Paint-In" at Nunan Florist and Greenhouses in Georgetown, Mass. What fun to paint in a tropical environment in the middle of winter - especially after last night's snowstorm! Artists from the Greater Haverhill Arts Association will be painting there on Sundays throughout January - and we will hold an exhibition on the last Sunday of the month. I will be sure to post my finished pieces - maybe my first florals since last year's Paint-In!

Agawam Diner - Small Acrylic Painting of Classic Rowley Diner by Debbie Shirley

Agawam Diner

(Rowley, Massachusetts)

5 x 7 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

The Agawam Diner on Route 1 in Rowley, Massachusetts is quite the local institution. Whenever I have a painting of it at one of my shows, it seems like just about everyone comments on having eaten there. By the way, despite the name, I don't think this diner was ever in Agawam. I believe it was in Ipswich and Peabody before it was moved to Rowley in the 1960's.

This piece is currently available at Pop Gallery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Interested in a similar piece? Contact me!

Beer & Wine - Acrylic Painting of Bowling Alley and Neon Sign

Beer & Wine

(Danvers, Massachusetts)

16 x 12 inches

SOLD

Love this sign from the Sunnyside Bowladrome in Danvers, Massachusetts. I am always surprised at how many locals don't know where this is! The colors are great - and the building has some interesting shapes. Every time I go by it, I see another angle that I want to paint!

This painting was one of my recent favorites - and I am happy to say that is SOLD at this year's Topsfield Fair.

Home Style - Small Urban Landscape Painting by Debbie Shirley

Home Style (One Way)

(Gloucester, Massachusetts)

8 x 8 inches

acrylic on canvas

What exactly would "Home Style" laundry be? Seems like a funny claim to fame! But anyways, I found myself fascinated by this building, sign and shadows each time I drove by, so I decided to paint it. A little different than my paintings that just highlight a part or a sign, but I am enjoying doing this kind of urban landscape - so there will be more!

Cameron's - Small Painting of Gloucester Restaurant Sign by Debbie Shirley

Cameron's

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel
SOLD

Once a downtown Gloucester, Massachusetts institution, Cameron's Restaurant has been closed for a number of years and is now slated for demolition to make way for an affordable housing project.

This painting SOLD at Pop Gallery in Gloucester. Interested in a similar piece? Contact me!

Farnhams Famous Clams - Small Acrylic Painting of Iconic Clam Shack

JT Farnhams

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

SOLD

Another iconic clam shack on the North Shore of Massachusetts. This one is in Essex - home to a lot of clams! I've driven by many times, however, this is one clam shack I haven't actually eaten at yet. Maybe next summer!

This piece was available at Pop Gallery in Gloucester, Massachusetts, but sold very quickly. I am guessing that there will be more Farnham's paintings coming up soon since it is a favorite place of many people. Let me know if you are interested in a piece of Cape Ann summer for your own!

Kowloon - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign Roadtrip

Kowloon

5 x 7 inches

acrylic on cradled board

Another crop of the iconic Kowloon sign. One of the few neon signs still left on Route 1! This painting will be available through my studio for the next week or so - and then it will be heading to a local shop.

Clam Box - Small Acrylic Painting of New England Clam Shack

Clam Box

(Ipswich, Massachusetts)

7 x 5 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

One of my favorite clam shacks to paint - and not a bad place to get fried clams, either ;-)

Just a reminder - I am happy to paint custom versions of these little paintings if you want a different size, or perhaps a painting of YOUR favorite clam shack!

Hilltop - Small Acrylic Painting of Iconic Hilltop Sign Route 1

Hilltop

(Saugus, Massachusetts)

5 x 7 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

It always seems like it is time to do another Hilltop painting!

The Hilltop seems to be one of my most in-demand images. I suspect that is because it was such a well-loved place that was around for so long - and then fairly recently closed their doors for good. At every show I attend with one of my Hilltop pieces, I hear so many stories about the special family get-togethers that were held there....the special dinners, birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, rehearsal dinners, etc.  - everyone seems to have a Hilltop memory. Not too many restaurants have such a long history of making memories for so many people!

This is also why I love this series of local signs and buildings that I have been working on. Not only are they fun to paint, but I really enjoy hearing the stories that people share, their memories connected to these places, the connections that people have to these places.

I do these pieces by commission as well- so let me know if there is a special place you would like me to memorialize in a painting.

Tripoli Pizza - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign from Salisbury Beach

Tripoli

5 x 7 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

I seem to be meeting a lot of people from Salisbury lately. And have been talking a lot about Salisbury Beach. Can't talk about Salisbury Beach without mentioning Tripoli Pizza! And while they have other locations, I am pretty sure that the Salisbury one is the only one with the great neon sign. One of my favorite signs - that I keep coming back to.....

Miniature - Small Acrylic Painting of Rt.1 Neon Sign

Miniature (Golf)

6 x 6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Another new favorite sign to play with! I am actually working on a much larger version of another part of this sign for an upcoming show. This sign is on Rt. 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts - new to the famous orange dinosaur. The property has sold, and originally the sign and orange dinosaur were supposed to come right down. Due to public outcry, the developers decided to give the mini golf course and orange dinosaur one last season. So quick - make it over to Rt 1 for a round of mini golf before the orange dinosaur becomes only part of North Shore's history......

Skips - Small Acrylic Painting of a Classic Neon Sign

Skips

6x6 inches

acrylic on cradled board

Finally a different part of the Skips neon sign! I love the part of the sign that says "The Best" - great words, shapes and colors. It has taken me a while to find another part of the sign that I wanted to paint. Some time I may have to do a larger version of the entire sign - it really is one of my favorites!

Working on a couple of these smaller pieces simultaneously with a few larger paintings that I hope will be ready to post soon. I think I start working on multiple projects at once when I am feeling a bit restless....