Charlotte Country Day in April!

Avocado Bunch

8" x 8"

Crimson Gathering

20" x 20"

Bowl of Sunshine

8" x 8"

The Purple Within

8" x 8"

These are just a few of the new paintings that will be available at the Charlotte Country Day School Art Sale.  This will be my second year participating in the sale and I am painting as fast as I can to have a nice selection of new art to choose from.

The preview to the sale and meet the artist reception will be Wednesday evening April 15th, 5-7 pm.  The sale will run April 16 - 18th.  Shop early for the best selection.  Check back again for updates!

Well off to paint something new for the sale!

Thank you for stopping by!

Torrie

Paintings now available at The Good News Shop at Christ Church in Charlotte

 

More White on White

6" x 6"

$125

The Lazy Green Pear

6" x 6" 

$125

I'm in the Good News Shop!

I have two paintings in the Good News Shop at Christ Church on Providence Road in Charlotte.  These are two of my favorite paintings.  I have painted these compositions before and the second time they both turned out beautiful.  They are framed in plein air type frames and ready to hang.  They would make nice Christmas Gifts for your art loving friends and family.   If you are in the Charlotte area, stop by and look at all the paintings that are available in the newly remodeled church.  The Good News Shop receives a commission on the sales which goes toward their mission fund.

Up Next~ I have a dog commission that I am working on for Christmas.  Wish me luck, I don't do many dog paintings!

Thanks for stopping by,

Torrie

Sunflower Bakery East 7th, Charlotte NC

 

2001 East 7th Street, Charlotte, NC

Show excited to show and sell my paintings at Sunflour Bakery!  These paintings will be available for purchase through November 23rd-- Just in time for the gift giving season.

I have 23 paintings for sale ranging from $25 original paintings on paper to the large Orchid on canvas framed for $300.   I know this is a challenging time and tried to keep the paintings at a more comfortable price point for people who want to give original art to family, teachers, and friends this holiday season.

I have enjoyed doing the small paintings (6" x 8") so much, I will probably continue.  These small pieces are matted to 8" x 10" inches to fit easily in a standard 8" x 10" frame from Hobby Lobby or Michaels.

I continue to work on several commissioned large paintings, and will start adding new work to the online stores when these are completed.  If there is something you would like to see in the stores for purchase, just let me know.  One of the hardest things for an artist is deciding what to paint next, so send me your suggestions!

Thank you again for stopping by, and if your local to Charlotte drop by one of the Sunflour locations and grab something delicious!

Torrie

The 6" x 6" Butterflies are $50 a piece

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

The following are a few the small paintings on paper $25

SOLD

 SOLD

 SOLD

 SOLD

Up Next! Opposites Attract Show at the Cain Center

New Show at the Cain Center of the Arts, Cornelius, North Carolina

Filigree 

20" x 20"

Crack of Dawn

11" x 14"

I am always so excited and honored to participate in exhibitions at the Cain Center.  It is a beautiful place dedicated to the arts in Cornelius, NC.  Click the link for more information about the Cain.  

The Opposites show was a new adventure for me.  For someone who loves color, painting with just black and white was a challenge.  I also added an abstract -- which I almost never paint!  The show reception will be Thursday, September 26th, 6:30 to 8:30 pm.  Both these paintings will be available for purchase at the show.  

My next adventure will be an upcoming pop up market with my granddaughter at Polkville Baptist Church in Polkville, NC.  She will be selling her crocheted animals and I will be selling small paintings ~ more about that in the coming days. 

The weather is cooling down and I plan on taking the opportunity to get outside and paint!  I have never painted outside before, even though it has always been on my list of things to do. 

Well off to finish another large painting!

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie

It has been awhile!

Hidden Treasure

12" x 12" 

Acrylic Paint and Gold Leaf

~Sold~

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately.  We have been busy with family traveling and catching up, but now back to painting!

I don't usually paint abstract paintings, I prefer still life and landscapes.  I had an idea and decided to give it a try--on a small scale with a 12" x 12" canvas.  

I started with a very colorful, loosely painted background.  (I may have to do this again....but much larger!

The next step, I covered most of the canvas with a thick impasto layers of similar colors using a knife.  I wanted it to look like broken plaster.

I then added just a very narrow edge along the openings with gold leaf.

Are you still with me?  Next came more layers of the impasto plaster-type layers in lighter colors to give it depth.

I then added a white edge next to the gold leaf, for more definition.

I added more layers of the "plaster type layer". 

Lastly, a bit of touch of on the colored under layer (where I had wayward gold leaf.)

I then framed the painting in a gold floater frame. 

My little abstract adventure has sold and will soon be shipped to its new home.

I hope you have enjoyed the progress pictures of my abstract adventure!  It will be a while before I do another one. 

Up next is another baseball painting.  This one will be going to the "Smalls" show in Mint Hill.  I am currently working to finish two more small paintings for the show.

Thank you for stopping by and continuing to follow my painting adventures.

Torrie

 

About the baseballs.....

 The Last Inning II

6" x 6" x 1.5" 

Framed Black Floater Frame

~Sold~

There will never be enough baseballs!  This goes way back to the day I put an old baseball of Kevin's in a box to create a deep shadow......and the rest they say is history.

The Baseball was on the front page of the Mint Museum Website announcing the 

"Guilding the Mint Show"

The thing about the baseballs, is no two are the same.  Every baseball looks different. Some aspects of the baseball has improved with repetition over the years, and the "looser" painted baseballs are my favorite.

I will continue to paint baseballs as long as someone wants to hang one in the baby nursery, for Dad for father's day, and for the new baseball player in little league.

Thank you all for your shared love of baseballs. ⚾

Torrie

The Monarch II

6" x 6" x 1.5"

Gallery Wrapped Canvas

The Blue Morpho Butterfly

6" x 6" x 1.5"

Gallery Wrapped Canvas

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

6" x 6" x 1.5"

Gallery Wrapped Canvas

The Peacock Eye Butterfly 

6" x 6" x 1.5"

Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Current Available Butterflies

This has been a very busy time, but I did get a new Monarch Butterfly painting competed and there are currently four available at torriesmiley.com

The Mint Museum Show continues in uptown Charlotte through the end of May.  I have a small abstract to complete and then will be doing a series of small still life.  

I am going to try and get started with the local plein air group, so be on the lookout for more landscapes.  I have not painted landscapes very often and its time to start doing more!

Thank you for stopping by!

Torrie

 

The Rocks of Lake Lure before the storm

 The Rocks of Lake Lure

16" x 20" 

Acrylic on Canvas

The Wittmer Collection

May 16, 2007

One of the first large landscapes I painted after a trip to Lake Lure.  It was purchased by the Wittmers of the Lake Lure Inn and added to their collection.

This has been a very difficult week.  The amount of devastation in the mountains of western North Carolina is hard to comprehend.  I am so fortunate my family is safe with little damage and back home with power restored.  

I will be spending this weekend in upper Cleveland County near South Mountain in my daughter's home. I will be back to the studio next week.

Thank you for stopping by,

Torrie

Hanging out with the Kids!

 

The past few weeks have been filled with the kids and travel!  I went to Charlottesville, Virginia to see the kids and celebrate their anniversary.  Charlottesville is not that far from Charlotte and the scenery is beautiful.  It makes me very anxious to get started on new landscape paintings.

Then a quick trip to the country to celebrate Miss Lucy's 10th birthday.  We watched her soccer game and then had a birthday cookie.  While in Casar, I noted a barn that needs to be in a landscape painting!  Good thing I will going back in a couple of weeks.

The Guild of Charlotte Artists major event ~ the PopUp Market at the Mint Museum was this past weekend.  I had a blast!!  I did not sell my work at the market.  When the event was in the planning stages, I was still working full time so I didn't have time to devote to painting.  I volunteered to help the artists unload and set up their booths.  It was so much fun, and very inspiring to see so many wonderful artworks in one location.  

Now off to finish updating my studio~ 

Thank you for stopping by~

Torrie