2021 Holiday #12

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 1/1 the price goes to $250

My last Holiday painting for the year!

This is the perfect time to say THANK YOU to everyone who supported me this year.  Through purchased paintings, gifts that arrived and endless cards and emails.  It is truly because of you that I can continue to paint for a living.  You all enrich my life and make me a blessed artist (a blessed artists wife also!)  Wishing everyone health (Covid free) happiness and love in 2022!

2021 Holiday #11

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/31 the price goes to $250

A nice little scene that I put together.

If you have a little Christmas money to spend you may want to check out some of my original paintings!  Like this little number I just finished.
NEW: Image:9x9    Framed: 14x14 in a black wood frame
$450.   Standing on the ground and looking up does interesting things to angles...

This painting found its new home, and it looks fabulous!

2021 Holiday 10

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/30 the price goes to $250

Thank you Carol for another great photo for me to use. Since my usual Holiday painting was spent on commissions, I plan to do a few more.

I can now show you one of my commissions.  This house was built by the owner and he put in the gardens as a gift to his wife.  I needed to nail this one and felt a little pressure to have it accurate.  They were thrilled.


We took off over Christmas and I think it was one of the nicest holidays we have had in a while.  Our VRBO was perfect.  This was our daily view...

Linda got her fire in the fireplace from morning till bedtime!    The wifi was spotty and the TV could not connect (dish) so it was QUIET!! We had an excellent dinner on Christmas Eve at the White Dog Bistro in Mathews, VA.  On Christmas day Linda's brother Jimmy and his wife came for a dinner, Linda premade a lasagna. It was the first Christmas they spent together since they were kids.  All in all...perfect.  It could have been longer!  For once, even I was not ready to come home.  Our Christmas in NYC with Abbey has been postponed to Christmas in Spring!  We are a bit disappointed. - darn Covid.

2021 Holiday #9

 
SOLD!  4x6” mini original watercolor

This one sold while I was painting it!  Thank you Joan for the great photo from the Chester Springs area.  I changed it to evening with a full moon just to add my spin to it!

It has been very hectic here as I am sure most households are this time of year.  I finished my commission and it looks great.  I will show them all after Christmas.  My focus was painting commissions while Linda was juggling several things.  We have a large remodel job started which in a 160 year old house means NOTHING is plumb, and NOTHING is easy! It takes a special carpenter to work here!  We picked up some new flooring yesterday.  Our living room looks like a storage unit!  We decided not to bother putting up a tree, there is simply no room.  The project is going slower than we would like because at every turn there is something needing done that you cannot even see, like all new plumbing lines...  a kind of  "while I am in the crawl space you may want to consider..."   why YES, lets go ahead and do that!  Linda started working on our empty cottage, one room is painted, and then Covid stopped us in our tracks for two weeks.  We had a few handyman repairs done on Monday and we decided not to even think about it until January 2nd!  Although every time we look out the kitchen window the cottage is there yelling  "hey, I'm back here waiting!"  Linda is type A so this is a louder scream than what I am hearing!   Added to the list since Grandpa's passing is all the closing of accounts, but Lancaster is very behind on death certificates so that is all on hold. This does not stop Linda's mind from thinking and the list keeps growing. But we now have another apartment to empty and repair and paint.  She is to only be doing a large trash bag of things a day.  BUT, I already had two runs to Goodwill, one large run to Art of Recycle AND a large amount of trash bags were set out for pickup.  Our conversation is about how quickly a life is dismantled.  All the things we collect and spend money on is quickly disbursed and trashed.  But the ironic thing is we just bought 16 small antique oil cans as our Christmas gift! 

Something for our daughter to disburse when we are gone!   Anyway, all that to say Linda is not following her own one bag daily limit.   We are heading out for a rest and new fantastic Bay water views in Virginia.  Linda is excited to work on a puzzle in front of a fire sipping a cocktail that our friend Kathy lovingly put together for her to take along.   It looks like our postponed Christmas with Abbey and Ben may be postponed again with raging Covid in NYC.  We will deal with that next week.

So with all that, please be careful while out and about and gathering.
I want to thank everyone for their love and support this year.  I wish you all a wonderful Holiday season and the very best in health and happiness in 2022.

working...

 I lost a week of  work so now I am concentrating on my commission.  It is a bit complicated and requiring me to really pay attention to details.  It is a Christmas gift so I cannot share it and I need to keep steadily at it so it is finished in time.
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Meanwhile the nice things keep arriving...
Thank you Rose Ellen for the  Harry and David fruit...  this will not last long!

Thank you Lynne for my favorite shortbread and Linda will NOT share the super thin cut outs!  Evidently I gobble them and they are meant to be nibbled!


Linda and I were just talking.  Linda said she learned a valuable lesson.  Do not ask if someone needs something,  we told everyone we had everything we needed, and we did.  We really needed nothing, our kitchen is always well stocked.   BUT it was nice to have a few surprised dropped off, a meal we did not have to think about.   So from now on when we can do something nice, we just do it and don't ask!   But a HUGE THANK YOU to all!!

2021 Holiday #8

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/17 the price goes to $250

More from downtown Lititz.  There was a stuffed cat in the window, I thought about leaving it out but I like cats!  

We have aired out and wiped down the house and studio so anyone wanting to do some Holiday shopping this weekend send an email to confirm we are here!

2021 Holiday #7

 
SOLD!   $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/16 the price goes to $250

Downtown Lititz...  This one looks much better than it photographed.  You will NOT be disapointed!

I am working on my commission.  Linda is making lots of phone calls. Did you know you cannot even disconnect the cable without a death certificate?  
Here is a photo of Grandpa...

Meanwhile we had to cancel our Christmas celebrations in NYC with Abbey and Ben because we are not Covid free within NY's time frame.  Trying to be flexible!  We are heading to Williamsburg for Christmas and going to NYC for New Years.  No, not to time square but to Central Park.

2021 Holiday #6

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/14 the price goes to $250.

This is from a porch downtown Lititz.  I like the white of the chair against the brick with todays sunlight.

Family Update:  Overnight Thursday, Grandpa had a big turn for the worse.  Friday morning Linda was called to come in and make some decisions.  We agreed to bring in Hospice.  Linda spent the night with him and Grandpa passed away in the morning.  While 87 yrs old he went from pretty robust, walking a mile or two daily, all health issues  under control to 13 days of Covid and he died.  Covid won.    He did two tours in Vietnam and was a proud Army retiree.  He has 2 Bronze Stars, one with an oak leaf.  He earned his military funeral.   We will be having a small family service in Spring at Fort Indiantown Gap.  

We are now true empty nesters...  The house actually seems oddly quiet.  In 1996 Linda's Mother and step Dad (grandpa) moved into our upstairs apartment because Mom had health issues and needed help.   In 1999 my Mother moved into the back cottage.  For the past 26 years we have been caretaking parents, cooking dinner 4 nights a week, taking them to appointments and generally doing whatever was needed. 
It is hard to believe we are alone in the house...  

Oh, I forgot to say we are feeling better.  Linda still has a bit of a cough but we are out of quarantine.

2021 Holiday #5

SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 5x5” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/10 the price goes to $250.

Santa!  A friend of ours is Santa, I mean he really looks like Santa.  Thank you John for the use of your photo.  I totally enjoyed painting you.

Family Update:  The Doctor said Grandpa is improving on paper...His breathing is better, he's on a bucket of meds and will need oxygen.  They think he would improve more if he were home where he is comfortable.  He has not even been out of bed yet.   Linda is freaking, the amount of care is overwhelming and he has not been pleasant.   Yes, we can have an aid stop in but 2 hours out of 24 is only a little help.   We will get through this!

We have told everyone we need nothing.  We have plenty of supplies.  But there is always someone who does not listen...and I will admit it was nice to open a few boxes and just eat... Thank you Joan.

 

2021 Holiday #4

SOLD!   $145. (unframed) 6x4” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/9 the price goes to $250.

My last star painting...

Family Update: First, a HUGE THANK YOU to all the emails of support.  We have the BEST clients and friends.  Linda was not up to sending replies today so I am saying THANK YOU to everyone.  Not much change in Grandpa.  It was very hard to get info from the hospital today.  Linda called in three times and at 4ish a doctor finally called.  I understand they are busy saving lives but it is hard to sit here and not know anything.  She was able to talk to him for a tiny bit but he was pretty confused.  Meanwhile, Linda had a little relapse, she was in bed all day.  Coughing and just not feeling well.  Our plans to visit Abbey in NYC next week, for our Christmas together have been cancelled, leaving Linda pretty upset.  All in all its a little rocky in the Smith house.

2021 Holiday #3

 

mini original watercolor    $250.

Another downtown Lititz scene.  Following a Lititz Star theme this star is in front of the Bulls Head.  And yes, that's a lot of bricks!

Family Update:  More life curve balls, by Saturday both of us were sick and tested positive.  Actually we expected it, we were caretaking.  We both feel like we have bad colds, Linda a bit worse than I was.  Today we are both feeling a bit better.  Saturday we took Grandpa for monoclonal antibodies but by this morning he could not breathe so the ambulance took him to the hospital.  We were not allowed to be with him.  There is nothing worse than being 87 and totally alone with no support system.  The driver said we were the 3rd Covid call and it was only 9:30am.  This is serious stuff.  Grandpa was admitted and is very fragile...

2021 Holiday #2

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/4 the price goes to $250.

This is the front of the Savory Gourmet truck that is sitting at the entrance to the Lititz Spring Park.  I highly recommend a visit to their shop!  The decorated truck is a wonderful photo op and made a good little painting.

Family Update:  You gotta love how live throws curve balls.  My father in law who is 87 and lives in our upstairs apartment has Covid.  He picked it up at a Thanksgiving dinner where everyone was vaccinated including him.  He is pretty sick and we are waiting for an appointment to take him for monoclonal antibodies.  We took a home test this morning and are negative...had our boosters last Saturday.  Hope they are working cause we are his caretakers!   This is taking a toll on my business, I have cancelled clients wanting to stop at the studio and did a few porch pick ups.  Just do not want to take the chance of spreading it.

2021 Holiday #1

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/2 the price goes to $250.

This is my first Holiday painting for the season.  Its a little dark but its the only way to make the star stand out.  I went with a street view with star lights in my hometown of Lititz, PA.  While I was painting today we had some snow flurries.  I hate the cold but it was nice to see and even better that it did not lay.  I am putting off getting the shovels out!

2021 Landscape #29

 
SOLD!   $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 12/1 the price goes to $225.

This beautiful stone house is located off the Heritage Rail Trail in Seven Valleys, PA

Commission #3 is finished!  Now gathering my photos for the next one.

2021 "Seasons Greetings" Holiday mini print

 This years mini Holiday print is ready... 
"Seasons Greetings"

framed 10x8"   $35      
Black frame with white/black mat  or walnut frame with cream
Linda is offering FREE gift wrapping!  Tell me if you want it wrapped.
I will ship to where ever you need (within the US) at cost

There are 18 other mini Holiday mini prints available.

Buy one for a gift and another for yourself.
You can order on line or email or call the studio.
Always check your Spam folder for my reply emails, I have issues with my email going into junk...

As for the new Holiday mini Original paintings... I plan to start December 1.  If you have a good photo feel free to send it to me.

Holiday Update:  We had the Holiday to ourselves this year so we planned a bike ride.  We chose the Heritage Rail Trail from York to Glen Rock PA.  It was a little chilly but we did 30 miles round trip.  In Glen Rock we stopped at a bench and had a turkey sub and a tasty cake!  Not quite a turkey and pumpkin pie.  The tandem is now put up for the winter.  Linda had 296 miles this year, not bad for a self proclaimed couch potato!  But the rider in me wants to make her go around the block a few times to round it to 300!!

Friday was spent getting supplies for the cottage repaint.  I was shocked at the price of paint…$60 a gallon and that was not the best. Around January we will be looking for a new tenant by recommendation.  Looking for an older quiet person.  No smoking, no parties and no pets...  Its a 600 sq ft one bedroom cottage on our property. 
Saturday was spent moving furniture around in the house, packing antiques to keep them safe and rolling up the carpet.  Doing some home remolding; a new kitchen and laundry room.  It is going to be a messy long project which is Linda's baby!  I am staying out of the way and working on my commissions.

2021 Williamsburg #4

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 11/25 the price goes to $225.

Williamsburg Virginia...

Sending everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  We are planning a quiet day, if its warm enough we are taking the tandem out for the last ride of the year.  Otherwise I think Linda is planning on hitting the sofa and watching the Hallmark channel!

2021 Williamsburg #3

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 5x5” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 11/24 the price goes to $225.

This is a view from inside the tailors shop looking out to the grounds of Historic Williamsburg.   A colonial dressed woman is standing outside.  This one screams Williamsburg!

Spending my time working on my commissions.

2021 Williamsburg #2

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 11/20 the price goes to $250.

I found this in the Tailors Shop in Williamsburg. 
I fell in love with the glass, it is setting on top of a writing desk.

My moon commission is finished but I am not showing it until my client picks it up next week.  The final painting is a surprise to her.  I am staying focused, today I started my next commission, this is a gift so I cannot post it.  

Meanwhile I helped Linda cut some bushes, trying to get the gardens put to bed for winter. Linda had her 2 month implant check and all is looking good.  I have my annual glaucoma check up, I have had glaucoma since I was in my late 20's and holding steady.

2021 Williamsburg #1

4x6” mini original watercolor 
Framed 8x10    $300.

This view is across the street from the Peyton Randolph House.  We took the Freedom's Paradox walk and I highly recommend it.  Worth your time, free with a ticket.  We are usually in Williamsburg in April and at Christmas.  November looks so different.  There was a fresh coat of paint on every building, that was nice to see.   Love the educational path they are taking with the "enslaved".  Well done.   My only issue was the long lines everywhere to eat, obviously short staffed.  We did get one lunch at our favorite place, The Blue Talon.

I had the privilege of being included in the film for "A New Day" - Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute. It is worth the time to watch the whole film, but to see me go to 7:18. Art is the highest form of hope. Gerhard Richter.... WOW! 
Today we dropped off some donations to Art of Recycle, we donate often to them. BUT it was the first time we actually went inside. Linda wanted ribbon for our bookmarks. What an exciting place. FULL of anything you could want and things you never knew you needed! I used to think it odd that Linda saved wine corks or her Oui yogurt jars... but now I get it. Take the time to check it out. I love the idea of recycling. You could wander around for hours.

Week update and commission progress

We just came back from six fantastic days in Williamsburg, VA.  After the drive down we had dinner with Linda's brother.  We do not get to see him too often.  Wednesday we parked at the Jamestown Settlement and rode the tandem on the Virginia Capital Trail.  A paved trail that goes to Richmond!  Follows along route 5.   We did 20 miles to Charles City and stopped for lunch then went 20 miles back.  A total of 40 miles!  We had a second evening visit with Linda's brother. 

Thursday we met our friends at Yorktown.  We had breakfast and ordered a box lunch at Mobjack Bay Coffee, both were very good.  We had a fabulous private hybrid tour of Yorktown and the battlefield.  We wanted a taste of both . This was SO much better than trying to read about the battle.  I highly recommend it.   Contact Mobjack Bay  and ask for J Michael Moore, historian.   This was really the way to go.  Next we went to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown,    A well done museum and we needed more time! 

We met the rest of our group, a total of 8 of us at the house we rented in Hayes VA right on the river with fantastic river views
.

Here is a great photo of my brother, Carl with Linda

The next two days were spent at Colonial Williamsburg.  I never get tired of being here.  We also spent an evening at Busch Gardens Christmas Town.  All the lights and music put us in an early Christmas mood. 

 Now its back home and back to work.  Today I ran my RV to New Holland to have it winterized.  Adair's came to measure for some new flooring in the house and the cottage. 

The rest of my day was spent on my commission...  I did get a little painting time last week.

working on the window frame


Adding color to the pumpkin and bottle and the table.

Adding more detail and going darker...

So close to being finished...

2007-2021 Door #2

 

mini original watercolor   $225.

The 2nd of the four paintings for sale on Marketplace that I purchased.  This was originally from 2007.  I retouched it.   I little peek into a cabinet.

I will not be blogging the rest of the week, an explanation will follow later!

Commission

I have permission to post my next commission.   It is a piece to go with one my client already has.  It will be framed 14x18"   My instructions were: inside scene with a pumpkin and window looking out to a moody full moon.  So I was pretty excited to start this.

First is my drawing, all by hand

Next is getting a moody night sky painted in

It needs a fall landscape...

2021 Landscape #28

 5x5” mini original watercolor      $250.

This barn is from the grounds at Pleasant Hill, KY.  I liked the green Kentucky grass against the red barn.

Commission #1 is finished.  #2 will be started tonight.  I think I may show the progress of that one.

2009-2021 Winter Series #12

SOLD!   $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 11/5 the price goes to $225.

There is a story to this 2009 painting.  I saw four of my paintings for sale on Marketplace.  Usually it is prints but these four were mini originals.  The person selling received them as a gift and it is not her style.  I know... I don't understand either!  Anyway, I bought them.  Now since 2009 my skills have improved a bit so I retouched it.  Just went over it and made it stronger.  It is from Canterbury, NH.

I used my day to work on my commission.

2021 Pumpkin #6

 
SOLD!   $145. (unframed) 5x5” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 11/4 the price goes to $250.

Thank you Lydia for the use of a great photo.
This is the last pumpkin for the season!

A photo sent from collector "Don".  This is his living room wall.  Most of the paintings are his Andy Smiths!

2021 Pumpkin #5

 
4x6” mini original watercolor    $250.

Not sure how many more pumpkins I will paint.  This is the last one we have that the squirrels have not eaten.  We had about 15 pumpkins setting around and the squirrels got them all.

I am starting commissions. The first one is a gift so I cannot show it. But I am working!

2021 Pumpkin #4

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 10/30 the price goes to $250.

After three paintings that were still life with a pumpkin I decided to go outside for a little variety.  This little scene was from Stauffers yesterday.

If you are thinking about a commission it is time to talk to me!

2021 Pumpkin #3

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 10/29 the price goes to $250.

Continuing with the pumpkin theme!

CLAIMED!  Every now and then I offer a painting FREE to the 1st person to claim it. 
Available to the 1st person to email
If you have won one in the past please give someone else a chance!

Landscape Series 3  from 2016 ~  unframed ~  image is 14x10"
I will frame it for you for $60 (18x14")  the framed value is $600!
pick up or ship at cost.
The photo is a little blurry but you get the idea...

2021 Pumpkin #2

 
SOLD!   $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 10/28 the price goes to $250.

Another pumpkin...  but it's not just about a pumpkin. 
Notice the work on the cloth.  This is a still life you can keep out all year, not just fall.

Today was my dental implant day.  All went well.  I came home and was able to continue painting.

2021 Pumpkin #1

 
SOLD!  $145. (unframed) 4x6” mini original watercolor

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 10/27 the price goes to $250.

I wanted to get a few pumpkins painted before the season is past!

I got all the tents packed up for the season.  Linda has been busy in the studio all day trying to catch up.

update!

First, a huge thank you to everyone who made our Backyard Open House a success.  I know it is not like our usual open house but we made it work.  We ended up closing early on our last day with storms coming in.  We got all the paintings in on time but had to leave the tents up.  After 11 long days we needed a bit of time away!   We headed up to spend time with Abbey and Ben at their cottage in the Catskills.  It was peak leaf time however it was mostly dusky yellow.  We still enjoyed it.
Monday we went to Opus 40.  Well worth a stop.

The kids were working from home the rest of the week so we entertained ourselves!  
Tuesday we took the tandem to the Ashokan Rail Trail for a 11.5 mile out and back ride.  Nice pretty flat with nice scenery for a total of 23 miles.  Then we headed into Woodstock NY for lunch.  Woodstock was packed!  Cute town.

Here is my tandem buddy.  I don't know how she does it.  She had not been on a bike since August and just hops on and does 23 miles...

Wednesday we planned another bike ride.  The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.  We started with breakfast at Village Coffee in Kingston NY.  Great omelettes.  Then we found our parking lot in Kingston.  Rode 13 miles to New Paltz.  This was a more interesting ride, some curves, some hills, bridges and tunnels. Lunch at Clemson Brewing. Then 13 miles back.   26 miles total!

The kids got us binge watching Ted Lasso.  What a well done series.  

Thursday morning we left and headed to Elkton, MD.  This was a long busy drive.  We checked into Elk Forge B&B for two nights.

Friday was our niece Emily and Evan's beautiful wedding.  

the happy couple:

father daughter dance!  My younger brother!

Here is Beth (sister-in-law), my brother Carl, me, Linda and James (my nephew)

Saturday was back home to reality!  We have tents to take down.  Linda has a garden to clean up for winter.  I want to start my painting a day again.  If you could not get here for Open Backyard and want to see what I have just call or email and set up a time to visit the studio.