Holiday Door #2

4" x 6" original watercolor
SOLD

Another Landis Valley subject.
I liked the stonework, this is
simply a nice holiday painting.
Even with the cold stone it has a
warm feeling and a pretty good bow!

A riding buddy and I picked up 600lbs
of food for our local food bank this morning.
Then I painted until 2:00 when I stopped
to take Linda and my in-laws to the American
Music Theater to see the Christmas Show.
We have done this annually for years.
Mom-in-law treated dinner and it was
back home to finish the blog. It is hard
squeezing a little holiday fun into the
schedule... but necessary!!

Holiday Greens #3

6"x 4" original watercolor
SOLD

Another scene from Landis Valley.
I liked the way the greens looked
against the worn white gate.
Not the refined look from the
White House wreaths but it still says
"holidays". I like that I can change
around and offer a variety of subjects,

keeps me from getting bored!

I pretty much stayed at my paint board
all day except for a quick trip to the store
for a few things Linda needed for dinner.
She made this excellent stuffed chicken
breast that was well worth the break in
my painting! I am about half way through
my commission and it is turning out nicely.
It is only 10:30 and my eyes are tired so
I think I will call it a night. If anyone took any
snow or ice photos during yesterdays storm
email them to me if you give permission to
paint them!

Holiday Greens #2

6"x 4" original watercolor
SOLD

I used the same still life from yesterdays
painting only extended the scene. I am
naturally drawn to our history and have
a great love for simple antiques. I enjoy
painting them. This is a solid composition;
a bowl of fruit, a pewter pot and the greens.

I had my day planned out. I had it divided
between the blog and my commission. My
creative juices starting to flow, holiday music
playing for encouragement. But all did not follow
my plan. Sometimes being the one who works
from home is the one who appears free to drop
everything and change plans, sometimes that is
frustrating. Linda noticed my Mom's toe was
extremely swollen this morning. That meant an
emergency trip to the foot doctor. Taking Mom
out at the height of the snow storm. Bundled up
and deathly afraid of slipping. Imagine the two of
us tottering down the sidewalk... After a bit of
surgery and 3 hours of my day gone I managed to
get back to work. It is a blessing to be able to care
for my Mom but also demanding as only those who
are caregivers understand. It is one thing to take a
few unplanned hours off work and another to interrupt
some flow of creativity and genius... but I manage.

Holiday Greens

4" x 6" original watercolor
SOLD

I totally switched gears and went with a
holiday still life today. This scene was
inspired from my trip to the Landis Valley
Museum yesterday. In the late 1800's
the decorations were sparse and simple.
A bit of greens and some fruit.

I belong to the Daily Painters Gallery, there
is a link on the lower right showing today's
paintings. They published a book recently
and I am on page 137! Check it out!!
Colour, Obsession, Joy and Torment

Holiday Window #3

6"x 4" original watercolor
SOLD

This is the last of my White House collection
of windows. I now totally understand how to
paint red bows and this may be my best one!

I needed some inspiration and fresh air so Linda
insisted we go to Landis Valley Museum since the
weather was nice. We spent a few hours walking
around snapping photos. My next few holiday
paintings will be from there. Linda wanted to
squeeze in a Washington day trip or even
Williamsburg for fresh material but it looks like a
week of rain is forcasted. So it's a no go, I need to
be satisfied with the material I have.
Thank you to all who are bidding. It energizes me
to watch it. It is much appreciated and in this
climate I do not take it for granted. Your support
of me and my work is a blessing. This is a very nice
group of paintings and I am proud of them. I am
sorry I am getting the blog on so late at night. I
am trying to work on my last two commissions
and it takes me 4-6 hours to complete the blog
painting so I just run short of time. Usually Linda's
complaint not mine!!

Holiday Window #2

4" x 6" original watercolor
SOLD

Another holiday window from the
White House collection! Again my
daughter provided the inspiration.
I am showing a hint of the fancy gold
drapes that are the frame for this scene
but its the large red ribbon that catches
your eye.

I was in the studio all day as promised.
In fact I never did stop to ride bike. I
worked on the drawing for a house
commission from 9 to 5. Took an hour

off to get a pizza and at 6pm started on
my blog painting, barely getting it finished
in time to get it on tonight. So for those
counting, that's 5 hrs to paint this painting!

I thought I would share a photo of
Abbey & Ben on their tour of the
White House. A rather good looking
couple who we are very proud of!

Holiday Window

6"x 4" original watercolor
SOLD

Today's holiday painting came to me by way
of my daughter, Abbey. She went to the
White House Christmas decorations tour and
snapped a few photos; she thought I could use
a bit of subject help! I like that it came from
the White House but could be from any house.
A large double window decorated with a wreath,
some fake snow and a red ribbon. I spent two
hours working on the ribbon so look at it closely!
Outside the dark window are lights on the bushes.
The fake snow can throw you off a bit, making it
look like it is outside, and it could be...if you can make

sense of the row of lights being inside... just a random
artist thought...

If you have a holiday inspired photo that you took
and think it may be something I would like and you
are willing to let me paint it, feel free to email it.
I cannot guarantee I will paint it but if I do I will give
you the photo credit!

We had a great time at the Terry Fator performance

last night. Well worth it, he is amazing. Being out in
the rain did not help Linda's cold and she is coughing
pretty bad again today. I am in the studio on Saturday

from 9am to 3pm (after 3 I may try to take a bike ride!)
I plan to work on a commission so feel free to visit.

If you were planning to place an order for one of the
new prints, taking advantage of the opening price you
should do it soon, especially if you want it by Christmas.
Price goes up 1/1/09!

Holiday Door

4" x 6" original watercolor
SOLD

Today's holiday offering is a grand
doorway. Nice mix of brick and
stone, good shadow work and a holiday
wreath.

Please take a moment to share
my blog with a friend. Help me
spread my talent!!

I am into it now, I have my subjects
lined up. My problem was I looked
up each morning with no idea what
to paint, then add the pressure of a
holiday theme and it was just not clicking.
But I am on top of my game now.
I am ignoring the nasty rainy weather we
are having. Sticking to my desk working
on the blog and my commission.
We are going out tonight to see the
ventriloquist Terry Fator. Should be a good
night of laughing which we can really use!

Poinsettia

5" x 5" original watercolor
SOLD

I am asking for an artist bailout package!
Never hurts to ask!!! I am even coming to
you with a plan which is more than the other
guys offer. I will trim the fat. Cut some

of the extra benefits I give Linda; like a paid
lunch with the boss and the extra sick days she
has. On my end, I promise to use my bike more
often instead of wasting the business vans gas!
But the promise is I will slash my blog prices for
the rest of December, starting each blog at an
opening bid of only $25!! Now I hope you
understand I don't actually want to sell it that low,
my goal is to give you a good time bidding it up...
way up.
In a way I am offering you entertainment with the
excitement of bidding. In return I receive some
winter income, so go place a bid!!

Linda wanted me to tell you a few things, I am
quoting here...
Holiday paintings do not need to be hung. You
can lean or prop them on a shelf, a table, a mantle...
Move them around. Next time you are thumbing
through a magazine notice what the decorators are
doing with their paintings.

I have great holiday mini prints that make nice
hostess gifts (so Linda tells me!!) Place an order now
and we will try to ship the next day. Also if you are
stuck on a gift idea think about an Andy Smith
gift certificate!

We both are fighting bad colds so we are not
operating full steam here at the Smith house. I did
manage to finish my first commission and it was
a hit. So I have another one started that I am
enjoying and a third I am sketching and getting ready.

Holiday Lights #3

6"x 4" original watercolor
SOLD

Please excuse my artistic licence as I've
taken a very historic Shaker barn and added
holiday lights. There may be Shakers
rolling over in their graves because I
doubt they ever decorated for Christmas,
But I could be wrong about this!
I think Linda thinks I am committing a
sort of crime by stringing lights around the
barn but I think it looks rather nice!
I am following a theme for the week; night
time for my backdrop, strong sky featuring

stars... and holiday lights on a building.

I started getting some of our holiday things
up from the basement; get the spirit moving.
Linda is always so busy this time of year that
it is not on her top 10 fun things to do. We
spent the morning getting rid of "fall" but I am
saving one pumpkin just because I like it.
I have a commission on hold till the client
can ok the sketch so I started another one today.
I picked up a cold somewhere and am not at
peak performance; I rarely get sick, I think it
is due to the lack of bike riding!!
We met with two other couples for dinner
tonight and I love catching up with them.
It was a very nice evening.