How it all started...About me...

Yellow Pears I  -  2005  

                                                           One Yellow Pear - 2020

I have been drawing as long as I can remember.  I spent more time drawing in class when I probably should have been paying attention.  In high school, I had my first opportunity to paint with a wonderful local artist Nell Bennett.  That is when I fell in love with painting.  I really can’t call myself self-taught because there are so many people through the years who have helped me be a better artist.  

As with many of artists, the slight detour came when I became an adult and fell victim to the phrase; “You need to get a real job, painting is a hobby not a career.” 

Fast forward twenty years, my daughter had an art class project that she, of course, waited until the last weekend to start.  She had to complete a painting for art class.  I told her I used to paint back in the day, and we would paint together.  We bought acrylic paint since she needed it to be dry by Monday.  We both started from the same reference photo.  That weekend was all that it took—

Being a single mom with two teenage girls, painting kept me from going crazy!.  Painting was my drug of choice, it was addicting. I soon realized I would not be able to afford my new “hobby” if I didn’t find a way to pay for the paint—quality art supplies are expensive.  I decided to put a few of my small paintings on eBay.  If they sold I could buy more paint!  I guess you could say the rest is history.  

Since that time, I have sold over 700 small daily paintings in my various online stores.  My children often referred to it as my hobby that got totally out of control.  I was fortunate to be selling art online and have been selling my art on Etsy since the early years.  I was one of the original artists to join Daily Paintworks started by Carol Marine and her husband David.  I have followed wonderful daily painting artists like Carol, David Keiser, and Qiang Huang along with many others which have helped me grow as an artist.  The explosion of painting websites, youtube, instagram, downloadable instruction videos, and online workshops make this a great time to be an artist.  

I am now painting both small daily paintings and larger paintings that I enter into local and online shows.  My paintings are available for sale here on my website, Daily Paintworks, and my Etsy Store.  Prints of my paintings are available through Fine Art America. 

If you would like to know when the new paintings are coming online before they are released, sign up for my new art alerts and newsletter. 

Thank you for stopping by and following my adventure!  I am having the time of my life! 

Torrie

2016 ~ a very slow year for painting

 

The Paintings of 2016

2016 was a slow year for painting!  I completed around 20 paintings~ There was just too much going on to have time to paint.  Hopefully, 2017 will be all about painting!  I want to paint daily, not necessarily finishing a painting daily, since I want to paint bigger!!

Several of the paintings of 2016 (some of my favorites) are currently available for purchase at my Etsy.com store.

Up next~  a large nest painting for a show in February~  I will post pictures.

Thank you for continuing to follow my work~

Torrie

Day 18 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ The Nest

The Nest 

5" x  7"

Acrylic Paint on Canvas Panel

~Sold~

Day Eighteen of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

But not for me, this is painting Eleven for me.  Last week was an extremely difficult week, there was no painting, no inspiration.  I used that time to reflect on how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family.  Now it's time to get back to work!

I love the new painting!  I will be painting a larger version to keep for myself.  

The Nest has sold.  

To view more paintings currently available for purchase, please visit my Etsy.com store.

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day Nine of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ Three Lemons

Three Lemons

6" x  6"

Acrylic Paint on Ampersand Gessobord

~Sold~

It's Day Nine of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

Playing catch up!  I am going to try and finish day ten today, but I do have a date for the Greek Festival tonight, so it may be tomorrow.  It is getting more challenging, not only the time aspect but thinking of something to paint.  Everything that is floating in my head needs to go on a larger canvas and can't be completed in one day......

Three Lemons was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality Ampersand Gessobord with painted sides to allow for display without a frame on a small easel or framed. 

Next up~  No hints today!  Check back again later.

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day Eight of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days! Me and My Shadow II

Me and My Shadow II

8" x  8"

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

It's Day Eight of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

Okay ~ stop looking at your calendar!  It is the 9th....painting everyday is one thing, but trying to get a good quality photo with natural light is impossible to do after dark creating a slight delay~  The weekend is finally here and I can paint and photograph in the same day.

I love painting pears!  They are so versatile.  No two ever look alike.  When I shop for them in the store, I have to do a "test drive" before purchasing---I have to stand it up and make sure it stays upright, quite a few are so lopsided they fall over.

Me and My Shadow II was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame. 

Next up~  LEMONS!

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day 7!!! 30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ Autumn Pear

Autumn Pear

6" x 6"

Acrylic Paint on Ampersand Gessobord
~Sold~

Day Seven of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

I have to admit ~ I AM EXHAUSTED!!! Working all day, fighting traffic on 485, getting home and painting, and trying to get to bed before the alarm goes off in the morning.  I would not be able to do this without Kevin's support.  He is kind enough not to expect dinner or conversation every evening.

This is by far my all time favorite pear, and I have painted a lot of pears.  The funny part of this, I was happy with the painting while I was working on it, but it wasn't until I took photos to upload to the computer that I noticed the leaves~ the ones I didn't know I painted.  One of those "happy accidents" that you wonder how it happened.  Look in the background just above the two leaves on the left....there is a leaf!  Look on the right in the background the clear image of a white leaf!  I didn't plan it, I didn't even know it at the time.  

Autumn Pear was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality Ampersand Gessobord with painted sides to allow for display without a frame.  This painting can be framed or placed on a small display easel.  

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day Six of the 30 in 30~ Months in the Making!

Porch Water Lilies 

48" x  48"

Acrylic Paint on Cradled Hardboard

~Collection of the Artist~

Day Six of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

I painted all day.....just a bit different.  I needed to varnish this large painting to get it out of the dining room! I chose to varnish it with Spar Polyurethane varnish, similar to what is used on boats.  After giving the time needed to allow the paint to completely dry, I researched what varnish would be best to use to protect the painting from the weather.  The location on the front porch where the painting will go does not get direct sun or rain, but the painting will endure temperature change throughout the year.

I laid the painting flat on two buckets to elevated it off the ground and make sure it was level so the varnish would go on smoothly.  I followed the directions on the can and applied three generous coats of varnish, lightly sanding between each coat.  It took all day as I waited two hours between coats and then two hours for it to dry before moving it.  The varnish was amazing!  The underpainting colors came to the surface and the colors in the water were so much better than I expected.  It is now at home on the porch.  The deep blue of the water really looks nice with my pink house.  I might start a trend with my large porch painting ~

Now off to get started on day seven!

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day Five of the 30 in 30 ~ Tar Heel Born, Tar Heel Bred VIII

Tar Heel Born, Tar Heel Bred VIII

6" x  6" 

Acrylic on Ampersand Gessobord

~Sold~

"I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel bred. And when I die, I'm a Tar Heel dead."

Day Five of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

I had my first toss out today.....there are always days when nothing looks quite right, those are the days you clean your brushes, put the easel away, and go see the grandchildren.  The best thing about grandchildren is they think you are the best grandma ever!  After lots of hugs and kisses, pretend tea out of plastic cups, and a rocking chair full of Minnie, Mickey, and me; I return to the studio with an uplifted spirit and renewed confidence~

This is another collector favorite composition that I have painted many times.  The Tar Heel Series of paintings began when my baby headed off to school.  Her and her husband have now settled in Chapel Hill and are raising a little Tar Heel of their own.

Tar Heel Born, Tar Heel Bred VIII was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality Ampersand Gessobord with painted sides to allow for display without a frame.  This painting can be framed or placed on a small display easel.  

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day Four of the 30 in 30! Avocado with Bell Pepper II

 

Avocado with Bell Pepper II

5" x  7" 

Acrylic Paint on Canvas Panel

~Sold~

It's Day Four of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

Rolling right along, it has not gotten complicated yet....it is a holiday weekend with plenty of time to paint!  It will soon get tricky when I juggle home, work, and painting!  I will have to do a lot of planning to have everything stay on track~

You can see I have been revisiting old compositions, it is always best to start with the familiar when you have been away from painting for while.  Today is a throwback from years ago. I love the bright reds and subtle greens, this is always fun to paint

Avocado with Bell Pepper II was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality canvas panel with painted sides to allow for display without a frame.  This painting will easily slide into a frame or can be placed on a small display easel.  

This painting has sold.  You can see paintings available for purchase at my Etsy.com store. 

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day Three of the 30 in 30! Baseball VIII

Baseball VIII

6" x 6" x 1.5"

Acrylic Paint on Deep Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Sold

It's Day Three of the  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  

Yes, I have painted this baseball eight times, exact composition-same ball.  It is my most requested commission and I love painting it.  Even after painting this eight different times, there are no two the same.  I always think the latest one is the best~

Today is going to be a fun day of painting~  The storm has passed and the light and weather are beautiful!

With a Carolina blue cloudless sky this morning, painting a Tar Heel painting will be easy~

Baseball VIII was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality deep gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame.  This painting can either be hung on the wall or stood on a shelf like a block.  

This painting has sold.

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Posted 13 hours ago by Torrie Smiley

Day One of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

Fresh Cut Lemon

5" x  7" 

Acrylic Paint on Canvas Panel

~Sold~

It's that time again!  30 Paintings in 30 Days in September with Leslie Saeta.  I have participated in this adventure for several years.....never really getting farther than day 20. Completing a painting everyday can be a challenge when the real world continues to demand equal time.  

I have started this adventure with a small lemon painting.  There will be a variety of paintings painted this month.  I decided not to choose a theme this year, I am going to paint what pops into my head that day.  Of course, there will be pears, various food still life, baseballs, and I may throw in a rooster and a landscape here and there.

I have high hopes of completing the entire 30 paintings~  wish me luck!

Fresh Cut Lemon was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality canvas panel. Painting can be easily framed or placed on a small easel for display. 

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Lucky Winner!

Dahlia

5" x 7"

Palette Knife Painting

by 

Sharon Durbin Graves

I love the Internet!  Artists are so kind to share their knowledge and experience through blogs, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.  There are several artists that I follow and learn so much from their demonstrations, tips, and progress photos.  Sharon Durbin Graves is a wonderful artist I follow. 

Every month Sharon gives away a painting to one of her many blog readers.  I was so fortunate in May to be selected to receive one of her beautiful paintings.  I contacted her immediately and insisted we trade!  She sent me the beautiful Dahlia painting above and I sent her my tulip painting.

Three Tulips

5" x 7"

Acrylic Paint on Ampersand Gessobord

We both had an opportunity to add new paintings to our growing collections.  

Please visit Sharon Durbin Graves' blog~ you just might win a beautiful painting! I did~

I am back to painting again after a long time away~  I will explain more tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by~

Torrie

April Nest

April Nest

24" x  36"

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Not for Sale

I am still painting!!  This was a commissioned painting that I have just finished.  I am currently working on larger commission works, but I plan on slipping in some smaller ones that will be available for purchase very soon.

Thank you so much for continuing to follow my work.  I hope you enjoy the new format of the blog~  

Check back again soon,

Torrie

SPRING SALE!! Time for a change~

 

The Lemon Tree

6" x 6"

~Sold~

 

Good Morning Silas

18" x  24"

Private Collection

It is March 5th,  and I have completed seven paintings for the year.....  for a daily painter, that sucks!
The two paintings above are my favorite of the seven.    I have closed my Amazon store and put everything in my Etsy store on sale.  I have decided it is time for a change!

Winter is always hard, but this year seems to have been worse.  Spring will soon be here and the trees have started flowering, so things are looking up!

I have always wanted to try plein air painting and now is the time.  Walking and standing continue to grow more difficult-- if I am ever going to paint on location, I had better get started.

I also want to start painting BIG!!  I have generally been painting small--- 8" x 10" and under, mostly 6" x  6", so this is going to be quite the challenge....painting large canvas sitting down!  HA!

You can visit my Etsy.com store sale by clicking here.   I will continue to post new work when it is completed and will continue to sell my paintings at Etsy.com and Daily Paintworks.com when I can. Thank you to everyone who has collected my small paintings and followed my painting adventures~ The best is yet to come!

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

Day 10, but not painting #10 HA! Martini, Stirred XI

Martini, Stirred XI

8" x 10"

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Day Ten of the 30 paintings in 30 days with Leslie Saeta.  I love painting martinis almost as much as drinking them!  Time to put the vodka away and get busy!!  I am so many paintings behind on the 30 in 30.  This is actually the sixth painting for me~

Martini, Stirred XI was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame. Painting was finished with a light coat of varnish. 

This painting has sold.

I have no clue what to paint for tomorrow~ 

Thank you for stopping by,

Torrie

Day 9 ~ Robin's Blue Eggs VII

Robin's Blue Eggs VII

6" x  6" 

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Day Nine of the 30 paintings in 30 days with Leslie Saeta.  I am behind a few paintings, but I plan on catching up!  I love painting bird nests and eggs.  I love that they all all start the same but turn out a bit different in the end.

Robin's Blue Eggs was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame. Painting was finished with a light coat of varnish. 

This painting has sold.  You can paintings available for purchase at my Etsy.com store. 

Day 10 is finished and will be posted tomorrow.....then I am going to catch up maybe on a few previous days

Thank you for stopping by,

Torrie 

Day Four! New Year Cherries

New Year Cherries 

6"  x  6"

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Day Four of the 30 paintings in 30 days with Leslie Saeta.  This is my all time favorite cherry painting.  I love how it turned out!   The soft-fuzzy look is intentional, kind of, --I really don't know how I did it---but I hope I can do it again!

New Year Cherries was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame. Painting was finished with a light coat of varnish. 

This painting has sold.  You can find paintings available for purchase at my Etsy.com store. 

Day Five may be delayed......Miss Stella needs a bath!  

Thanks for stopping by,

Day Three of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days~ Pear 2016-1

Pear 2016-1

6"  x  6"

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Day Three of the 30 paintings in 30 days with Leslie Saeta.  My first pear painting for the year!!   I have a feeling there will be many to come.

Pear 2016-1 was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame. Painting was finished with a light coat of varnish. 

This painting has sold.  You can find paintings available for purchase at my Etsy.com store. 

Day Four tomorrow~  

Thanks for stopping by,

Torrie

Day 2! Cupcake 011

Cupcake 011

6" x  6"

Acrylic Paint on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Day Two of the 30 paintings in 30 days with Leslie Saeta.  Cupcakes!  I like eating them more than painting them.  

Cupcake 011 was painted using professional artist grade acrylic paint on a museum quality gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides to allow for display without a frame. Painting was finished with a light coat of varnish. 

Day Three tomorrow~  Off to paint!

Thanks for stopping by,

Torrie