Pear Study 1

Pear Study 1

5" x 7" 

Acrylic Paint on Ampersand Aquabord

~Sold~

Finally!!!   I know it has been way too long~  Getting back to painting is always a struggle when I have been away from it for this long.  I started again with something I love to paint hoping it would just flow once I started......nope, I had to work at this one but I am very happy with the way it turned out.  The tough part is over--now on to the next!

Pear Study 1 was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery Ampersand Aquabord. Painting can be placed in a small frame and also be placed on a small easel for display.

I will be starting another pear this week and hopefully will transition into landscapes soon.  

Thank you so much for stopping by~

Torrie

Christian's Martini

Christian's Martini

6" x  6"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Christian's Martini was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality canvas panel with painted sides.  Painting can be framed or placed on a small display easel.   Painting was finished with a light coat of varnish.

This painting has sold.

It is nice to get back to painting~  So much to do!  There are more pears on the way, more lemons (they are currently in the fridge waiting on me to get inspired), and maybe a boat painting!  Tonight I painted a big slab of wood with chalkboard paint....that will be going in my kitchen by next week~ I will post a picture it it comes out well.

Thanks for stopping by, tomorrow is a new painting day!

Torrie

Lemon Yellow

Lemon Yellow

6" x  6" 

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Time to get back to work!  Family has all gone home and it is time to get back the fun of painting.  I have missed it!  I will be playing catch up for a while~

This is my entry into the "Yellow" Challenge at DailyPaintworks.com

Lemon Yellow was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for hanging without a frame. 

This painting has sold.

Tomorrow~  Avocados!

Thanks for stopping by~

Torrie

Gold Pear with Grapes III ~

Gold Pear with Grapes III

6" x 6"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

A new pear painting, I am trying to keep up with demand, this time a gold one with purple grapes. This painting is currently available for purchase in my EBSQart.com online gallery and in my Etsy.com store. There is a new large pear painting (16" x 20") currently drawn on canvas to be finished by the end of the week. Also, the boat painting is coming right along~ and a new ballerina in the works just for fun!

I have been asked to paint floral still life paintings, it will be nice for a change. I have a new orchid blooming, I am sure it will make it on canvas by the end of June.

Well, off to varnish a few pear paintings~

Have a wonderful evening,

Torrie

Strawberry Cupcake~~ A new painting!

Strawberry Cupcake

7" x 9"

Oil on Canvas Panel

~Sold~

Strawberry Cupcake was inspired by my baby girl who baked me a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting before she went back to school at UNC. Smartest thing I ever did...teach the kids to cook! Strawberry Cupcake is currently available for purchase in my Etsy.com store and in my EBSQart.com gallery.

I have been so busy fussing over photo software. I had marvelous software that I new how to use and get good quality images of my paintings for the Internet. Well, nothing lasts forever.....especially software! I am not a big fan of change ~~mainly because of the learning curve that comes with new software, but I am slowly getting the hang of Paint Shop Pro. I think it will be fabulous once I figure out all the bells and whistles. Maybe now I can get back to painting instead of working on the computer.

Now back to painting! Cheap Joes had a canvas sale and I placed on order--it should be here any day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

New Painting ~~ New Year!

Happy New Year!

Pink Flamingo III

12" x 16"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~SOLD~

I am so excited about the new year ~ this will be the best year ever! Thank you to everyone who helped make my 2008 fabulous!

I have just finished Pink Flamingo III and it is available for purchase directly from me at my EBSQart.com gallery, the Etsy.com store, and eBay.

I will be finishing my portrait for the weekly challenge blog "Different Strokes From Different Folks." Then, there are requests that need to be filled. I am painting a smaller version of my logo painting "Big Bird" and I have another pink flamingo painting started. I will be painting a companion piece to go with the Red Creamer~~The Red Sugar Bowl. I have so many paintings swimming around in my head, I will be painting for a while!

Thanks for stopping by~best wishes to you for 2009, make it your best year ever!

Torrie

New Pear Painting! The Golden Pear

The Golden Pear

8" x 10"

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Available for Purchase

***Sold***

Painting, painting, painting! It is a beautiful Monday, the sun is shinning and it is very warm outside. I should be cleaning up the yard~but, painting is more fun. This is the newest pear painting. I wanted an elegant vintage-type appearance with a muted background. I am very pleased how it turned out. This painting is available for purchase directly from the artist at my gallery at EBSQart.com and in my Etsy.com store.

Up next, pink Flamingos! Check back again soon to see how they are coming along.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Torrie

The Avocado ~~ New painting today!

The Avocado

6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Panel

I was able between fog and rain to get a good picture of my newest painting The Avocado. The Avocado is available for purchase directly from the artist at my EBSQart.com gallery or my Etsy.com store.

It has been nice to get back to painting after the Christmas holiday. I have a new pear painting almost complete and I will be finishing up two flamingo paintings as requested. I will be painting a smaller version of "Big Bird" and finishing up the portrait for the "Different Strokes from Different Folks" portrait challenge. It is so nice to be busy painting!

Check back tomorrow to see the finished gold pear painting!

Torrie

Getting Back to Work!

Back in my Studio

I am so excited! The shelves are back up and fully stocked. This time they will not be going anywhere. The shelves are fully anchored into studs~~if the shelves fall now, they will take the wall down with them. I did move the magazine collection off the shelves because of the weight and replaced it with supplies. The top shelf is large canvas and the second shelf is small canvas, watercolor paint, pastels, and watercolor and pastel papers. I had forgotten what a wonderful collection of pastels I have. I am going to have to start using them.

My first painting in my newly re-designed studio was a pear. I wanted to paint something familiar to get back into the swing of things!

The Christmas Pear

This is the first painting from the new and improved studio. I will be posting the painting for sale some time tomorrow. I could not get a very good picture of the painting today~~it was too cloudy and rainy. Hopefully tomorrow the sun will shine long enough to get a good quality picture of the painting.

I spent the rest of the rainy day finishing up last minute Christmas shopping with Miranda. We had a wonderful time and ended the shopping adventure at Krispy Kreme!

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

When bad things happen~~

OOPS!

The shelf in the picture is 7 feet long

All the holes in the wall is where the anchors came out.

When I bought this house in 2003, I was very excited to have a small room off the living room to use as my studio. This enabled me to be close to the children and the activity in the living room, but still be doing my own thing. (You know how your kids want you to be close enough to answer when they say: "Mom", but not hovering .....) I have enjoyed my little room so much, over 350 paintings have been created here and shipped all over the world.

I have been adding supplies, canvas, and art magazines to my shelves in my studio for five years.....who knew it was getting too heavy! I am grateful I was in bed fast asleep and not sitting painting at my table when the shelves came tumbling down. The falling shelves would have definitely left a mark. The steel rail of the shelves impaled the storage bin next to my table which gave me an idea of the force of the shelves falling. No paintings were lost or damaged in the mess. I generally keep the finished paintings tucked away. I did lose all but one of my orchids. They were crushed and the pots shattered under the art magazine collection that was on the bottom shelf when it fell.

Needless to say...I will not be painting until I can find the floor under all the magazines and supplies. There are paint brushes scattered everywhere. I currently have canvas stacked in the hallway and dining room. I know the shelves will not be going back up.....I will have to think of something else~~maybe one of those elaborate closet systems from Lowes.

Hopefully, I will be back up and painting very soon. I will have to avoid the temptation to sit on the floor and look at all the magazines one more time before finding a new place to keep them!

Thanks for stopping in,

Torrie

Avocado on Red and No Sushi on Tuesday!

Avocado on Red

6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Panel

***SOLD***

Miranda had bought two avocados the other day for her dinner. I "borrowed" one for a few minutes to take some reference photos to paint for later. The children are getting used to me taking pictures of their food and fruit for my artistic adventures. I have been having so much fun playing with red paint. I am going to have to paint something else with all the reds. I think I have about seven tubes of different shades of red!

No Sushi on Tuesday

6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Panel

There is only one place in Shelby to get sushi. (This is a very small town...) There is a sign on the front door the says: "No Sushi on Tuesday". The only lady that knows how to make sushi is off on Tuesday.

Miranda's computer is currently being repaired, so she has been on my computer all day long getting ready for her finals this week. That gave me an excuse to lay on the sofa all day with the dogs watching movies~ I never do that! I will be paying for it tomorrow as I rush around to get everything done before the work week starts on Tuesday!

Up next~~ Finishing up the flamingo paintings. Then, I had better get my Christmas shopping finished.

Thanks for visiting!

Torrie

The Red Creamer ~~ New Painting!

The Red Creamer

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~SOLD~

A new little painting! I had to work in the yard today to trim everything back for the winter and get rid of a few million leaves. I worked in the yard for four hours then thirty minutes later, the wind blew and there were another few million leaves on the ground. I gave up and painted the The Red Creamer. I have had this little red cream and sugar set for so many years, I can't even remember where I found it. I was cleaning out the china closet the other day (trying to make room for new treasures) and saw the little creamer and decided I had to paint it! Maybe next time I will include the matching sugar bowl. The painting is available for purchase in my gallery or my Etsy.com store

I have to work for the hospital this weekend. Twelve hour shifts means no time for painting~~ Well, I might squeeze something in--you will be the first to know!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy The Red Creamer!

Torrie

Beyond the Tuscan Sun

Beyond the Tuscan Sun

18" x 24" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Commissioned Painting

I have finished the commissioned painting. I really enjoyed painting the large landscape. I have not painted one in quite some time. I may have to paint a few landscapes...I know, I have been saying that for months.

Well, better go, I am going to a concert tonight and there is so much to do before then.

Check back again soon.

Torrie

Naquaiya's Cupcake, Show Entry EBSQart.com

Naquaiya's Cupcake

11" x 14" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I have finished my entry in the EBSQart.com RIPPED show. I partnered with Naquaiya and painted my rendition of her scratchboard painting "Cupcake".

I had not planned on entering, but Naquaiya asked me to partner with her and I could not pass up the opportunity. It was a tough decision looking through her body of work to select a painting to RIP....so, I passed off the responsibility to my daughters. They thought it would be funny for me to do the cupcake...since I am currently on a strict "no sugar" diet. I love her scratchboard work and jumped at the choice of the cupcake

In painting Naquaiya's Cupcake, I used my background color that I have used with several of my pear and lemon paintings. I also replaced her cherry with my favorite.... a strawberry. This has been a wonderful opportunity to work with a gifted artist, thanks Naquaiya for inviting me! Visit Naquaiya's Etsy Store for her paintings that are available for purchase.

Cupcake, by Naquaiya

Currently in the Studio~

Leftover Pear ~ sold

I have been requested to recreate the Leftover pear. That is currently in the works. After that, I have a commission to complete a larger version of Tuscan Sun.

That's the studio news!

Check back again soon.

Torrie

Lemons and Cream II

Lemons and Cream II

8" x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas
Commissioned Painting

This is the second in the series of three commissioned paintings. The next will be Tea with Lemons II.

So many ideas, so little time to paint! Look for new paintings soon. There will be more pears, landscapes, and martinis!

Thanks for stopping by......

Torrie

PS....If I seem to be distracted.....I will be 49 on Wednesday.........time flies when you are having fun!

Flow Blue and Lemons, New Painting!

Flow Blue and Lemons

Flow Blue and Lemons

Available for purchase

8" x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

New Painting! Flow Blue with Lemons is the newest in the Flow Blue series. Finished this one last night. This is my favorite Flow Blue pitcher. It will probably be painted again---maybe with pears.

Miranda is coming home from her Florida vacation today. I am off to the airport to bring her home.

The next painting will be a plein air cloud painting for the show at www.EBSQart.com if the weather cooperates!

Check back again soon!

Torrie

Sunlit Tomatoes - New Painting!

Sunlit Tomatoes

8" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas

I just finished "Sunlit Tomatoes". It is available for purchase from all the usual places or just click the title above to buy directly from the artist.

I am in the process of getting some paintings together for a gallery opening in April. I will update you more as it progresses.

I have been on vacation this week, accomplishing not-a-whole-lot. I guess I better develop that old Southern 'gitter done' attitude and get busy.

I am going to paint a smaller tomato painting. I have two commissioned martini paintings to finish, and I still have not painted my bathroom.......

Well, guess I better get busy. Enjoy the new painting. For a list of online stores selling my work, go to www.torriesmiley.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

Pears and Pink Tulips, Just listed for Sale!

Pears and Pink Tulips

16" x 20" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I have just finished "Pears and Pink Tulips". You can purchase directly from me by clicking the link above, or shopping in my Etsy.com store or at ArtbyUs.com.

I have started something new. My baby girl has come home for Spring Break from UNC Chapel Hill. It is so nice to have her home safe. While we were watching the Duke/UNC game the other night, it came to me. I will be painting a Martini painting very similar to the Award Winning "Martini, Stirred". This time it will be Carolina Blue--with a Basketball in the center instead of the olive. Check back again soon to see how it turns out! I often catch Tar Heel fever after a visit to the campus. Courtney thinks she gets to take it back to school with her.....we will have to see about that!

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

Three Olive Martini III, New in the 2008 Series

Three Olive Martini III

16" x 20" x 1.5"

New to the 2008 Martini Series: Three Olive Martini III is available for purchase. This is the newest in the martini series.

I have added PayPal Buy Buttons on my gallery listings at www.EBSQart.com. This will enable you to purchase paintings directly from me. Here is the link to my EBSQart gallery: http://www.ebsqart.com/Artists/cmd_8335_profile.htm

In the studio today, I am working on a new Lemons and Red Bowl. Hopefully, it will be finished and ready for purchase Sunday or Monday.

It has been a long week and I have so much to do. I do have some landscapes in the works, sorry to keep everyone waiting.....

Well, back to the paint!

Torrie

New Paintings Available for Purchase!

New Paintings!

                                                                            Green Apple Martini II

16" x 20" x 1.5" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Pear with Grapes

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

These are two new paintings listed for sale today. These paintings are available for purchase at Etsy.com, eBay.com, and directly from the artist at EBSQart.com. Here are the links to each store:

Etsy.com: www.torriesmiley.esty.com

EBSQart.com http://www.ebsqart.com/Artists/cmd_torriesmiley_Profile.htm

eBay.com http://stores.ebay.com/Torrie-Smiley-Original-Works-of-Art

Being selected "Art of the Day" has been fun. I have not gotten much done, other than answer E-mails, but it has been great!

I am currently working on a new martini painting. After that, who knows, I still need to finish Big Bird 2008, and there is always more pears that need to be painted.

Right now, I think I will just finish the laundry.

Thanks for stopping by,

Torrie