Thanksgiving!

Stella and Sadie

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

From the Smiley's

Torrie

Miranda

Courtney

Stella and Sadie

Two New Paintings!

The Arrival of Winter

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

***SOLD***

The days are getting shorter, the leaves have fallen from the trees, the sun has given way to cloudy and gloomy. The morning paper is laying in a bed of frost. The birds have gone south to live at the beach. Winter is here. This is a small painting of the color of winter. A mixture of blue, turquoise, and yellow create an abstract winter sky with an empty bird nest remaining in a tree with bare limbs.

Coffee on Red

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

**Sold**

I have been planning to paint cups of coffee for some time. I might even branch out to tea with lemon. I am a fan of red, so I had to use a background of red for my first coffee painting. Please enjoy viewing my cup of Joe.

New paintings are also available for purchase in my Etsy.com store.

I still have not finished my President-elect Obama painting. I am soooo running out of time! I might have to give up and paint something else political.

Well off to dinner, Courtney is home and the girls cooked....we are having sandwiches. Then off to the studio to paint!

Torrie

Why do bad things happen to good pups?

Sadie Mae on a perfect sunny day....refusing to come in the house.

This is her "I don't think so" face.

Sadie Mae with her neck booboo....resting comfortably.

No painting today....Sadie Mae was bit by a friend's Labrador last night. They had played well together all week, but for reasons only Cody, the Labrador, knows; he bit Sadie Mae. He seemed upset that she had been hurt and I don't think it was intentional on his part. She has a wound on her neck that needed two staples. She will be taking antibiotics for the rest of the week. She will make a full physical recovery, I just hope she recovers her sweet loving nature of people and animals. During our evening walks in our big dog walking neighborhood, she thought every dog and owner she passed was her best friend and wanted to play. She has been a wonderful blessing to our family since the first day we brought her home from the pound.

Thanks so much Dr. Nic for leaving your evening with friends to meet us at the clinic. Stella said she knows Sadie is your favorite.

Our mini-dachshund, Stella, has been keeping close watch on the patient with frequent snuggling and kisses. She was standing right next to Sadie when Sadie was injured.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and give your family pets a big kiss from Sadie Mae.

Torrie

Fresh Orange, New small oil painting!

Fresh Orange

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

This is the newest of my small oil paintings on canvas panels. I am trying to paint daily, which finding the time is the biggest challenge, but I am having so much fun and learning so much.

I am always painting pears. I thought I would branch out a bit and paint an orange. I really like how this one turned out. I am thinking of branching out to more food groups!

This painting is available for purchase from my gallery and in my Etsy.com store.

I have errands to run but, hopefully, will have time to paint something new tonight.

Thanks for checking in~

Torrie

Two Little Pears ~ Another new pear painting!

Two Little Pears

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

~Sold~

Another little pear painting. I love painting pears. This is a green and red pear on a vintage blue plate. (These would stand up-- but, they are also artificial fruit.) I started buying realistic looking artificial fruit when the family kept eating my still life composition fruit before I had a chance to paint them. The family joke was "Mom, is the painting fruit or eating fruit." I do like working with the real thing....but sometimes the fake will have to do. This painting is available for purchase in my EBSQart.com gallery and my Etsy.com store.

Thanks for stopping by...

Torrie

The Lazy Pear - New Painting for today!

The Lazy Pear

5"x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

Okay, from now on, I test drive the pear before I bring it home from the grocery store. I picked out my pear and had planned to stand it up, spotlight it to get a heavy shadow and paint a standing pear with a long heavy shadow.....it refused to stay standing. I finally gave up and just painted it laying down. Now, I will test every fruit for its ability to stand before I bring it home.

Next up, look for another new pear painting tomorrow. I will be finishing it up tonight.

Thanks again for checking in ~~

Torrie

Taking a Break~~

Off to Chapel Hill!

Time to go check on the baby. I will be spending a couple of days with Courtney at college~~shopping, eating, and having fun! I did not get any painting done before I left, I will have to get busy when I get home.

See you all when I get back!

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

Happy Fall!

Holly's Flowers, Shelby, North Carolina

This is a wonderful time of the year! The trees are turning such beautiful colors. This is on the list of things to paint! Holly's Flowers is decorated for fall complete with turning trees in front! I love the flower cart and will probably be doing a series of paintings. This will be the first~~ Fall at Holly's Flowers. I will post it as soon as it is done!

I will be roaming the streets of Shelby again tomorrow to get more pictures of the fall colors before the autumn breeze blows them all away!

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

Flow Blue and Three Lemons

Flow Blue and Three Lemons

12" x 12" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

Flow Blue and Three Lemons is finished and currently in my Etsy.com Store. For those of you who have not seen Etsy, it is time to check it out. A website with only handmade or vintage items for sale. Great to do your Christmas shopping. I have had my Etsy store for a little over a year now and I love the wonderful things you can find there.

This is going to be a busy week! Cleaning out closets, getting the yard ready for winter, and finishing up some paintings before heading to Chapel Hill to see the baby!

Well, off to get busy!

Torrie

Flow Blue and Three Lemons ~~ In progress!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Flow Blue with Three Lemons in Progress

Reference Photo

I will be busy passing out candy to strange children in costume this evening and will not be painting~~so, I have posted the progress of my new lemon still life painting. I can't wait to finish it....but, there is a sidewalk sale in Charlotte at Cheap Joe's Art Supply in the morning... AND.... I have not finished painting the fence yet and tomorrow should be warm enough to finish. Well, so much to do so little time!

Enjoy the sneak peak at the painting and check back again soon to see it finished!

Torrie

Giverny Lily Pond ~~ New Painting in the Series

Giverny Lily Pond

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

***SOLD***

I have finished another small oil painting in the Giverny Series of the pond and gardens of Claude Monet's home in Giverny, France.

Next up~~ I am currently working on the Flow Blue and Three Lemons painting.

It has been a long day and the dogs need the evening stroll.

Thanks so much for keep up with my painting adventures!

Torrie

The Lily Pond at Giverny Oil painting on Canvas Panel

The Lily Pond at Giverny

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

***SOLD***

I am doing a series of small oil paintings on canvas panels. These paintings can either be framed or placed on a small easel to place on a tabletop, bookshelf, or mantle. This painting is available for purchase directly from my gallery using the link above or at my Etsy.com store.

The Lily Pond at Giverny is the first in a series of Monet inspired paintings. Next, almost finished is another impressionistic lily pond painting. After that, I will paint a poppy landscape painting using the style of Monet.

Currently planned paintings are lemon paintings featuring Flow Blue china and more pear paintings.

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

Design Style Guide!

The new website is up and running! Check out Design Style Guide! It is a brand new website catering to Interior Designers and Shoppers looking for unique one-of-a-kind handmade items to decorate and furnish homes. This is a one stop shop comprised of hundreds of Etsy.com designers and store owners. You purchase nothing from this site.....it provides you with information and links to the individual shops you are interested in visiting.

The different categories of shopping at the website are: Furniture, Holiday Gifts and Decor, Home Accessories, Pillows and Quilts, Pottery and Glass (my favorite), and Wall Art.  My paintings are included under Wall Art- original paintings.

Check this out when you are net surfing....who know what treasures you will find! New items will be added daily as the store owners add items to the site.

New Painting!

Red Tulips

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Available for Purchase

***SOLD***

You can see this and other paintings at the new Design Style Guide website. This painting is available for purchase in all the usual places

Thanks for stopping by....more paintings and fun to come!

Torrie

New Pear Painting! ~~ Pear V

Pear V

Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

***SOLD***

This is the newest pear painting. I was in the mood to paint something colorful and loose. Pear V is available for purchase in all the usual places, Etsy.com, ArtbyUs.com, and in my gallery at EBSQart.com.

I will be painting another pumpkin painting very similar to the White Pumpkin painting challenge. When I did the orange underpainting for the white pumpkins, I really liked how it looked orange and will probably do a pumpkin painting using orange pumpkins this week.

Well, I had better get back to work....it is turning cold and I have to get the winter clothes unpacked and pack up the summer.

Stop in again soon!

Torrie

The Orchid and the Dragon - SOLD

The Orchid and the Dragon

8" x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~Sold~

I have just finished "The Orchid and the Dragon"

I bought an Orchid at Lowes one year. When the blooms died, I sat the little pot near the window in my studio. It had just two leaves draped slightly over the pot. I watered it when it was dry and my little clay pot with two leaves kept me company. Slowly, there came two more leaves.....and then this little stalk started winding its way out of the little clay pot. I really don't know how long it took to bloom, but I was so proud when four blossoms came. The flowers lasted for quite some time sitting on the mantle in the living room. I took several reference photos, I was so proud of my little orchid. The blooms have long since died and the little orchid had to be transplanted into a larger clay pot. It is once again getting watered regularly at the window in my studio, waiting patiently for another bloom.

The teacup is from a Dragonware tea service that belonged to my grandmother.

This painting is also available for purchase directly from my gallery using the link above or in my Etsy.com store.

Well, I had better get busy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Torrie

Three Red Pears

Three Red Pears

8" x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

***SOLD***

I finished the red pear painting. This is three bright red pears in a gold - brass bowl with a muted soft green background. The painting is available for purchase in my Etsy Store and in my EBSQart.com gallery

Stop in again soon to see what I finally decided to paint!

Torrie

The Rooster II, New painting available!

The Rooster II

12" x 12" Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~SOLD~

This is the newest Rooster painting available for purchase at my EBSQart.com gallery or in my Etsy.com Store. I have really enjoyed getting back to painting roosters. It was a pleasant break from the weekly painting challenge.

Miranda and I are currently recovering from all the "Fair Food"--caramel apples, funnel cakes, vinegar fries (I did not eat those.....or the fried pickles). The roasted corn looked really good....but I had the Bar-B-Q, onion blossom, and peach cobbler-with ice cream, whip cream, and pecans. Good thing the county fair is just once a year.

Miranda brought home another fish that she won throwing balls in a fish bowel. I am sending it to live with Courtney in Chapel Hill with her fish Gil and Gabby. Sebastian, the goldfish the girls won at the fair six years ago does not want company, so Midas is currently living in a travel tank. I did not know that fed well and given a clean tank to live in, a goldfish can live thirteen to fifteen years! Sebastian, the county fair fish from six years ago is currently in a 20 gallon $250.00 tank set up living like a king!

I will be attempting paintings from the reference photos that we took at the Fair. Maybe small watercolors at first. I will let you know.

Next up!

I am going to finish the pear painting and then I better clean house and do laundry. It will be time to get back to the real world for a while.

Check in with you later.....

Torrie

The Rooster ~~ New Painting!

The Rooster

8" x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

~SOLD~

Just off the easel! I have finished the first rooster painting. It is available for purchase at my EBSQart.com gallery and at the Etsy.com Store I have another rooster started on the easel. It is 12" x 12" and will be different colors. It should be finished some time next week.

I have also started the small pear painting. It is red pears in a bowl with a gray-green background, 8" x 10".

The Lily pond painting is next. It is 16" x 20".

I will be away at Chapel Hill Monday and Tuesday to see Courtney. She has an echocardiogram scheduled and I am going to hold her hand......I really think it is the other way around. She will be holding mine! She is handling all of this much better than I am.

I will check back in when I get back! Hopefully, I will be able to find gas for the trip!

Torrie

Field of Lace, "Flower of the Month Show" at EBSQart.com

Field of Lace

8" x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

"Flower of the Month Show"

This is my entry to the "Flower of the Month Show"~ Queen Anne's Lace at EBSQart.com

I have not entered shows in a while, but the Spam and Flower shows were quite tempting. Stop by EBSQart.com and check out the shows.

Tomorrow then....

Torrie