Small Painting Frenzy! And Special News for Followers....

Fern's Motel (Saugus, MA)

5 x 7 inches, acrylic on panel

Okay gang, today starts the small painting frenzy madness!

From now until Christmas, I will MOSTLY be working on small pieces – perfect for gift giving.

Between my upcoming small works exhibits, gallery and retail outlets and shows I am in, I need to paint A LOT of these special mini paintings! Most are 6x6 or 5x7 and sell for $95, though some may be a little larger/more $$.

As a special bonus for my loyal followers,  I am going to give you guys first dibs as they come off the easel. See something you like? Please DM me or write “interested" in the comments below the particular piece. But act quickly - these little guys tend to fly out the door really fast!

Keep up-to-date - follow me on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM!!

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!

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 This was one of the last neon signs to go - it has been recently been replaced by a backlit box sign.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!

Free HBO - Small Acrylic Painting of a Vintage Motel Sign by Debbie SHirley

Free HBO

(Saugus, Mass.)

5 x 7 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Back to more of my sign paintings. I need more for local shops - and then with show/festival season getting underway, I will need some for my own inventory as well! I find signs fun to paint - sometimes I keep going back to some of my favorites, playing with composition and color and dimensions. After years in the printing industry and a resulting love for typography, it was inevitable that I would be drawn to signs - the lettering, the shapes, the graphic nature. Then tie in the nostalgic factor - and they are an irresistible subject for me!

Ferns - Small Acrylic Painting of a Retro Hotel Sign, Original Small Format Art

Ferns

6x6 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

Another painting of one of my favorite signs. I keep playing with different sizes and crops and compositions, trying to find what I like best. These little versions are a great way to try things out - and they also make great gifts (hint, hint)!

Room - Small Acrylic Painting of a Vintage Motel Sign

Room

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on cradled panel

available here

Playing with different parts of signs - these little panels give me an opportunity to play with colors and compositions - and they give me some smaller pieces to make available at lower prices. I have a few favorite signs that I seem to paint a lot! Sometimes the colors and graphics just come together for me, and I enjoy trying different crops and layouts, trying to find what is really attracting me to the sign.

I hope you like these little pieces. Judging by how quickly they are being snapped up by my collectors, there seems to be a market for these little guys. And with the holidays coming up - remember original art makes a great gift, too!!

Motel - Original Acrylic Painting of Retro Neon Sign

Motel

11 x 14 inches

acrylic on canvas

Another painting from Fern's on Route 1. Love playing with the different crops and angles.

This painting will be exhibited at Coolidge Hall during the Topsfield Fair October 2-12.

Ferns - Acrylic Painting of Old Motel Sign

Ferns

16 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

There is a graphic quality about this sign that I really like, I am considering doing a "flat" version in gouache just to emphasize that quality without an shading or background distraction. Gouache would be a new medium for me, so we will have to see how it goes!

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.....

El Country - Acrylic Painting of Old Neon Motel Sign

El Country

12 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

One of the last neon motel signs along the Saugus/Peabody stretch of Rt. 1 of Massachusetts. Glad I got a few shots of it before it was demolished. Unfortunately, I think I missed getting any pictures of the motel itself. You think these places are going to be there forever, then suddenly they are gone.....

This painting is part of the big Art Auction at the Newburyport Art Association in June.

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.

Country Side - Small Acrylic Painting of Vintage Neon Motel Sign

"Wish You Were Here"

Country Side

West Peabody, Massachusetts

demolished

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another great motel sign from along Rt. 1 in Massachusetts. I'm glad I got a chance to take pictures of so many of them - most of them are now gone.

Whittier - Small Acrylic Painting of Neon Motel Sign

"Wish You Were Here"

Whittier

Ipswich, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches, acrylic on watercolor paper

This is number 15 (I think!)  in my Fun-A-Day Project - still a ways to go until they are all posted!

The sign for the Whittier Motel is one of my favorite motel signs to paint. Alas the sign has been recently replaced - the new version isn't nearly as visually interesting. Something about the composition of this one... it is making me think that I may need to do a large version of it.......

Plaza Motel - Neon Sign Painting Fun-A-Day Project

Wish You Were Here

Plaza Motel 

Peabody, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Day 7 of my "Wish You Were Here" postcard painting-a-day project. This is s pretty cool sign (although a pretty seedy motel!). I think I need to go back and take pictures of it when the neon isn't lit...I;m not sure how I feel about the pink!

Fern's Motel - "Wish You Were Here" Roadside Retro Motel Sign Painting

"Wish You Were Here"

Fern's Motel

Saugus, Massachusetts

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

My Fun-A-Day Project day 2. I love the cheesy motel signs. I keep seeing people post photos on Instagram of some really great old neon ones out West. I may need to take a little road trip.....

Tier Tel - Acrylic Painting of Neon Sign Roadside Motel Vintage Neon

Tier Tel

12 x 9 inches

acrylic on 1-1/2" canvas

Another view of one of my favorite local neon signs - from the Whittier Motel in Ipswich, Massachusetts. I understand that the motel has been remodeling recently - and I believe they took down the sign.

I went back into this one to re-work a bit after I thought I had finished it. I don't do that very often, but I was glad to be able to correct a few things that were bugging me!

This  piece will be available at Newbury Art Association's Winter Members Exhibition and Sale through December.

Whir Pool - Acrylic Painting of Vintage Roadside Motel

Whir Pool

12 x 12 inches

acrylic on canvas

In looking back over the last few weeks, I realized that I missed posting this painting!

Fern's is an old motel on Route One in Saugus. And while this is not a super old sign, it still maintains a somewhat vintage look to me. People frequently ask me why I choose the signs and buildings to paint that I do. It's hard to say exactly why. Often it is a sign that catches my eye - and most signs that I like are old and - especially - NEON!! I love vintage lettering and graphics - the new signs tend to not have as much character in my eyes.

And sometimes it just happens to be the way the light catches part of a building - the shadows created by architectural details, the shapes and colors. Once again - it is the older buildings that are more interesting to me, the sleeker new designs don't make me want to rush to get out the paints!

I can remember Fern's old sign - maybe 20 years ago? They kept the same shape of the sign - but changed the graphics and color scheme. I love the "retro" feel of the old sign with the architecture of the old motel. I'd love to so a series of painting about motels from an earlier era. And maybe a little road tripping (in the name of research, of course!).

This painting is currently hanging in the Haverhill Arts Association Exhibition currently showing at the Haverhill Public Library through the month of November.