Wednesday, March 31, 2021

2021 Window #5

 
 $250  

Another great window scene.  This one has a wood bowl filled with potpourri and a candle.  I am most interested in the contrast of light and dark.
This was painted on paper I hate... I had half a sheet left and did not want to waste it but I hate it.  This is Saunders Waterford.  It simply fights me; it soaks up the color, doesn't blend.  You can't tell, but I know!  I will never order this paper again!

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

2021 Window #4

 

 SOLD!
$145 (unframed)  
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 4/1 the price goes to $250

The farm house where we stayed had beautiful deep windows with light pouring in.   Almost anything around the house looked great on the window sill.  Linda set up several still life scenes for me to paint.

I also finished a larger painting that I am pretty excited about.
Framed 21x15  $1500.   "Kissed by the Sun"  It is available!!

Business updates:
#1   In the top 70 Watercolor Blogs, Websites and Influencers in 2021 (Feedspot - worldwide)  I am now in slot #5!  I moved up a space!!  Kinda a big deal

#2  I reached over 100 subscribers on my You-Tube channel!  To see my videos just google andysmithartist youtube.

Monday, March 29, 2021

2021 Window #3 Spring tulips

 
SOLD!       $145 (unframed)

Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/31 the price goes to $250


These tulips brightened the kitchen where we stayed.  Linda brought them along and I thought it silly to pack them but I must admit to enjoying them.  They lasted the week and added a spot of Spring to the kitchen.  I used the kitchen island as my studio so I saw them every day.

I spent some time at the dentist today.  I finished this painting even though I had a tooth removed and the start of an implant!   All my sales for a few weeks will be going to pay for the implant.  I should have been a dentist!

Also wanted to mention, we had lunch at The Bullfrog Inn in Christiana PA.  Best Crab soup and a great burger; maybe because it has been a year since we ate out! They did a great job of spacing tables and you needed a reservation (even though it looks a bit dive bar)  But if you are in the area check it out.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

2021 Landscape #5

 

SOLD!
$145 (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)

If unsold by 3/30 the price goes to $250

A little scene from a drive around Strasburg, PA from our little winter break.  I added a full moon, you know I love the way a moon gives everything a special glow.

I can highly recommend a stay at Shallowbrook Farm.  The house was beautiful with lots of room to spread out.  Well stocked, there was nothing we needed.  There was a screened in porch we used even in the rain.  We also sat out by the pool even though the pool was not opened! The views were beautiful. We managed one 10 mile tandem bike ride on the Enola Low Grade Trail.  So now we are back home, refreshed, recharged and ready to go.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

2021 Ireland #7

 

SOLD!

$145. (unframed).  Available to the 1st person to email

(framing $35 - shipping available at cost). 

If unsold by 3/27 the price goes to $250

This window is from a building at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

I thought I was going to switch to painting to something from the house where we are staying but stumbled across this while looking at Ireland photos.  I guess I’m still longing for Ireland!

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

2021 Landscape #4

 

SOLD!
$145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/26/the price goes to $250

This painting is from the grounds where we are staying.  Sunset at Shallowbrook Farm

We are spending a few days at a VRBO just to look at a different set of four walls.  Being home was getting to Linda, I thought I was fine but sitting in a different kitchen with a change of light felt really good.  I am getting some new subject which charges my batteries.  It will be perfect if the sun comes out!  Planning on a bit of hiking and biking.  Linda is excited about a fireplace and an outside fire pit with a large pile of wood waiting for us.   We did not go far; just far enough,  in fact we took Grandpa along for a day/night just to get him out of the house too and its close enough to bring him back home.

I was enjoying painting Ireland and will go back to it after I paint Shallowbrook Farm for a week!

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

2021 Ireland #6

 

SOLD!

$145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/25/the price goes to $250

This is from Skerries Mill, Townparks, Skerries, Co. Dublin, Ireland.  I like the darkness surrounding the light from the window.


Monday, March 22, 2021

2021. Ireland #5

 
4x6” original watercolor $225.

This is from the fishing village of Howth, a suburb of Dublin.

Thursday, March 18, 2021

2021 Ireland #4

SOLD!    $145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/20 the price goes to $250

This just simply looks old!  I was intrigued with the two sets of windows badly in need of paint.  The top one has a curtain and the bottom has lots of reflections so a bit of a challenge.  It is from Market Square, Sleveen, Kinsale, County Cork.  It has the honor of being the oldest pub in Ireland dated to 1690 so I guess it earned the right to look old!
 

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

2021 Ireland #3

SOLD!

4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day

$145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/19 the price goes to $250

Forgive me for giving so much detail but it is allowing me to relive our trip!  This scene is on the road somewhere between Tully, Kildare, County Kildare, (we toured The Irish National Horse Farm) and where we spent the night at the Old Ground hotel in  Ennis, County. Clare.  The sky in Ireland is never quite what you would call sunny even though we had little rain.  But the color and patchwork of the fields...  


Tuesday, March 16, 2021

2021 Ireland #2


SOLD!

4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day

$145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/18 the price goes to $250

Kilcarn Bridge, Kilcarn, Navan, Meath, Irleand, that's a mouthful.    A multiple-arch stone bridge over the River Boyne from 1599.  This is from the country side on our way to see the Bective Abbey founded in 1147...let me say that again...1147!!  Again, green grass and stone.


News:  I went for a photo shoot at Landis Homes for their Pathways Institute of Learning brochure.   I give classes/lectures there sometimes.


A client, Pat, shared her Andy Smith wall.  The 2 on the end are my prints that she had framed.  Looks great!


If you stream Netflix, we watched a great documentary about a marathon race in the mountains.  "Barkley Marathon".  Even if you are not a runner I think you would enjoy it.


Monday, March 15, 2021

2021 Ireland #1


 4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day
$250

I am in an Irish kind of mood with St. Patrick's day coming up.  Started going through our photos from Ireland back in 2018.  Seems so long ago and yet the photos make it feel like yesterday.  A wonder country with amazing people.  I think of green grass and stones.


At home... we spent several days cleaning our popup camper getting it ready to sell.  It was sold immediately upon posting it.  Went to a nice family in Bedford PA.  We had it 11 years and it was a bit sad to see it roll out of here.

But we are excited with our new to us Jay Feather expandable.  The beds pull out the ends.  The reason for moving up was to have a bathroom/shower in the camper so we do not need to use campground restrooms anymore.   Also spent several days cleaning this one.   I have so many new things to learn...Excited for our first trip out.


Wednesday, March 10, 2021

On task...

I said I needed to stay focused today and I did but there was no painting time.   I was in line at the Park City Bon Ton by 7:45am.  Lots of waiting in line.  I finally got my Covid shot  (Pfizer)  and was back at the car at 9:30.  This was the soft roll out and other than standing a lot, it went smoothly.   Just took really long - 1.5 hours.  No place to sit if you have issues standing.  Hopefully they get the kinks out.  I made the local news!  That's me in the tan jacket.  

 

I must admit we were not too thrilled to get the shot, we were planning to wait for the J&J.   Let them work out a few more issues so we did not feel like an experiment.   We usually do not get any shots (flu, pneumonia, shingles)  just not big on it all.  But our sweet but insistent daughter did a signup facetime and cornered Linda... so, here we are.  Signed up and scheduled.  Linda gets hers on Saturday at a Wyndham hotel on the Lincoln Highway...    OK      I am glad I did it.

Anyway, back to my day:  Next stop was Panera for breakfast, then UPS,  then home and finished cleaning the old popup.  It is finished and ready to put up for sale.  Next on the list was 2:00 lunch and ice cream to start grandpas birthday celebrations.  He will be 87 yrs old.  Back home and now I needed a bike ride!  22 miles.  It was too beautiful not to go out.   I may sketch something...

Note:  I am not even black and blue (yet)  and just a tiny bit sore but nothing to speak of (especially if I rode bike!)  


Tuesday, March 9, 2021

2021 Sheep

 

SOLD
4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day

$145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/10 the price goes to $275

This is from January at Philips Farm at Greenbank Mills, Wilmington DE.  He is framed perfectly in the dark entry with just a little sun on him (or her??)  My plan is to paint a larger painting with two in the doorway,  so this was great sheep practice.  Thank you Carol for another great reference photo.

Thoughts:  I said I needed to be organized this week.  So late last night I sketched this sheep.  Then started painting early this morning.  By 11am I got our old camper hooked up and brought it up to the house to start a spring clean.    We emptied all our stuff out and wiped it down.  Not much to do since we are careful with it when we pack up.  Tomorrow I go for my first shot at 8am.  Then home to wash/wax the popup and then its ready to put up for sale.  At noon we are taking Grandpa to Fox Meadows for birthday ice cream and back home to start the new camper clean.  I may not get a painting done tomorrow.

Monday, March 8, 2021

2021 Still Life #11


4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day
$250.


My favorite fruit with a crock.  Thank you Amy for the use of your photo. 


Sunday, March 7, 2021

2021 Landscape #2 and #3

I am featuring two landscapes today... both are studies and practice... Yes, after 40 years I still practice!

2021 Landscape #2

4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day
$200.

Thank you Carol for allowing me to use your great night time photo.  This was from January's Wolf Moon over Rockford Tower.  I love night paintings and moon glow.


2021 Landscape #3

6X4" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Da
$200.


This one looks so much better in real life. The camera pixels were not kind to this painting.  I am intrigued with snow laying between the rows in a field and the contours of the earth.


I see this week is to be warmer, Spring fever is hitting the Smith house!  I am putting the shovels away.  I NEED to get outside on my bike.  So that means managing my day a bit better.  I am trying to balance painting a larger painting that I started on Friday, with a mini painting a day.  And I want to wash and wax our new camper.  Plus clean out and wash our old pop up camper to get it ready to sell.  Oh, and find a way to Covid celebrate Grandpas 87th birthday on Thursday (Linda's step-dad who lives with us).

Thursday, March 4, 2021

2021 Still Life #10

 

4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day  $275.

Another set of oil cans.  They are only about 3-4" tall. 
I have been having fun with these.  


Wednesday, March 3, 2021

2021 Still Life #9

 
4X6" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day   $275.

Linda likes small oil cans and we have a few!    Some have dents and worn areas, some are a little... well, oily.  But the colors are so interesting.  So I am on an oil can kick...

I have had to work a little harder for subjects lately.  Normally we are traveling all the time, for fun and to show.  For over a year we have hardly left the house.  I am looking around and realized I have painted most of our antiques.  I am going through my old photo and have painted most of the really nice ones.  As soon as it is a bit warmer I need to take a walk around town and find new subjects.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

2021 Still Life #8


SOLD!
6X4" miniature original watercolor - A Painting A Day

$145. (unframed)
Available to the 1st person to email
(framing $35 - shipping available at cost)
If unsold by 3/4 the price goes to $275

Just a nice still life...

Monday, March 1, 2021

Commission

I spent the weekend finishing a house commission that I had been working on for several weeks.  Framed 24x18"  This is a family home near Cherry Springs, PA (where the best star gazing can be found!).

I really try to make my commissions a partnership.  I bring to life my clients vision and my style into a wonderful watercolor painting.  This client was able to come to the studio and watch me paint, making the whole experience even more personal.  I am happy to help you with a painting... contact me!


Thoughts:   I was distracted today so I did not get my mini painting finished. Over the weekend we upgraded our popup camper to a Jayco expandable. With Covid the idea of campground bathrooms and showers did not appeal to either of us!  I have been looking hard for over a year for just the right model in our price range and had 5 we were starting to make plans to see.  We took this one right away and when I looked, 3 of the others sold on Sunday.  So Spring is coming cause campers are selling fast.    I bought it in DE so today we went to AAA to sign the title and pay the state their portion only to find you now need an appointment... so that is scheduled for Wednesday.  Then the phone calls... Called a ton of places looking for a reasonable parking lot to store it.  Prices all over the place. Finally at 5PM I found one.  Called several RV Services looking to schedule a good going over to make sure all the parts are working well.   Several were booked far ahead, a few were simply not pleasant, one tried to sell me a new one.  Finally settled on Shady Maple RV and not till 3/31!  Called my insurance company, that was the only easy call.  Then called and ordered a pizza for dinner!