moving

I plan to move my blog site to http://kimsmithfineart.blogspot.com.
Please come visit me there and I would love it you would follow me, while you are there.
I am still working on the site, so please be patient.
Thank you!

spring

I painted this for a challenge posted on the Daily Paintworks site. I really enjoyed the landscape as a subject and the colors were so fun. I would love to hear what you think of it! 5"x5" $120 framed.

beach umbrella

Still wishing for summer. I was dreaming of the warm sun on my face and the sound of the ocean when I painted this icon of summer.

wishing for summer

I am so wishing for summer. Will it ever get here? This beach painting is 18"x18.

blue bird

This little 6"x6" bird was created with a brush and a palette knife, he is full of color and texture. Hope you like it!

monday blues

Feeling blue this dreary Monday morning? Hope these blueberries cheer you up!

smith

I made another fun sign. Smith. I made it for my daughter to take for her room in college next year. They really look fun together on my mantle. Any suggestions for other fun words to make into signs?

tiny yellow bird

This bright yellow bird is so very ready for spring!

daisy

This is an energetic, happy daisy for a dismal rainy day. Hope you have a great one!

purple grapes

This 8"x8" painting of purple concord grapes was fun. I just love working with purples and blues...

love you more

Inspired by my niece Erin, I painted this very fun sign for my daughter Isabel's bedroom. It's something that I say to her every day. Of course, my older daughter Emily wanted me to make one for her that says "love you most" :). It's in my handwriting. I wrote it out, scanned it into my computer, enlarged it and created a stencil. Always a wonderful thought for her to see every single day...

black eyed susans

This 12"x12" oil painting is a smaller version of a painting I did previously. I just love the colors, the composition and the energy. Enjoy!

pink tulips

This 12"x12" original oil painting is free and loose, colorful and full of energy. It is a different style for me, but I am really happy with how it turned out. I was loosely trying out Julie Ford Olivers' Fracturing Technique from the Daily Paintworks ArtByte tutorial: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ArtTutorials/ArtByteLibrary

first friday, lancaster, pa

My very first art opening at Sharp Jewelers in Lancaster Pa this past Friday was so much fun! Thanks to all of my wonderful friends for coming and supporting me!

red, red rooster

Another fun rooster. Roosters seem to be very popular with my fans! They sure are fun to paint! This one is 10" x 10".

apples in a row

This group of apples couldn't be happier together. I tried keeping my brush strokes loose and fluid. Let me know what you think of it...

blue finch

I had a very busy painting weekend. How fun! This is another cute tiny bird. He is 4"x4", $100 framed.

stans records

This was a fun one. A very cool retro sign in downtown Lancaster, PA. The store has been there as long as I can remember...sometime in the craziness of life it's comforting that some things don't change. 10"x10" original oil painting $450.

dreaming of summer

This is a larger painting, 30"x30". I can't wait until it's time to sit on the beach and feel the sun on my face...

rockaway beach babe

This painting of a beautiful beach babe was from a photo taken last summer during a fun visit to Rockaway Beach. Long before Sandy came along. Hope life makes it's way back to "normal" for everyone in Rockaway and all the much loved beach towns. 8"x8" $300 framed. SOLD

happy valentine's day!

Emily (my daughter) and I were taking some photos at Central Market for me to use as painting reverence. Of course the Miesse caramels caught our eye! So we just had to buy a box of caramels, not just one or two caramels, we needed an entire box of them. Just too yummy to resist — they were gone in no time! Maybe another photoshoot of caramels is in my future :). Happy Valentines Day! Eat all the chocolate you want today! This painting is 8"x8" $300 framed.

mischievous otis

So I moved my painting studio from my work office to my home at the beginning of the year. I never had the pleasure/challenge of painting with my kitties nearby. One of the first days of having everything set up and spread out around me Otis comes to see what I am up to. Not even giving it a moments thought he steps right on my palette of paint. Right smack dab on the french ultramarine blue. Oh no! Now what? I grab him right away. I'm holding him in the air thinking now what?? I tuck him under my arm, grab the laptop and run into the bathroom. I google "how to clean oil paint off a cat." I have to clean him first with olive oil, then soap and water. It was quite a process since it spread before it got better. He's no worse for the wear. It was an interesting lesson. What a good boy, sitting still for me to clean him like that. It actually seemed like he thought it was fun. The challenges of working at home!

rooster

This rooster is 6x6. I need to start working on some larger, bit more long-term paintings, but I seem to be in a comfortable spot with these smaller paintings. The "ugly" phase goes by much more quickly and I don't get a discouraged in the middle. Maybe I'll start a larger on tomorrow to challenge myself. Let me know what you think. The rooster was fun and quick...and safe, for me...

sheepish

This 18"x18" painting was really fun. I had done a smaller palette knife version of it and was able to keep this one loose and fun, too. The color palette is soft and warm. Let me know what you think!

green apple

This one is still wet. I really tried my best to keep my painting loose and free this morning. Happy Friday!

field of poppies

This is a bit larger painting. The colors were very fun to work with. Did my best to keep it loose. Enjoy!

Central Market, Lancaster, PA

Here is another painting I did of Central Market, Lancaster, PA.

my 30 paintings in 30 days collage

is it happy hour yet?

So glad that it's finally Friday! This cute little 4x4 painting is in honor of Friday happy hour. Cheers!
$100 framed.

carrot tops

This is my last painting of the 30 day challenge. I think I may have only missed posting three of the 30 days. I'm proud of that. It was a great experience. It got me into the wonderful habit of making some time to paint every day. It gave me the freedom to try different things. Painting on a white background. Starting with a black background. Doing a base of bright colors and allowing the opportunity for happy mistakes. I tried painting with square brushes and allowing my brushstrokes to show (like this one), I tried painting tight and detailed, I tried painting with a palette knife...and I think I learned how to better know when I am finished with a painting instead of second guessing myself. I also really enjoyed seeing what all the other great artists did for the 30 day challenge. Thanks for all the inspiration! Anyway, I am sad to say this is my last one for the challenge. This 10x10 painting was super fun. Love the bright colors, the brushstrokes, the looseness of it. Hope you like it!

old buttons

I have a great old mason jar from my grandmother full of old buttons. My daughter and I had a fun time photographing them on my dining room table...the photos turned out so well that I had to try a painting of them. What fun painting old buttons! Somedays I wish for simpler times when moms had enough time to save old buttons and reuse them...

feeling blue

My painting for this gloomy winter Tuesday. 10" x 10". Hope it brightens your day!

breezy

These are fun flowers that I found at market on Saturday. I have no idea what they are called. They have a breezy, happy feel. Let me know what you think!

reaching for the sky

A row of trees reaching for the sky. This is a little bit abstract for me. I have to be honest. I was originally palette knife painting a line up of rowing oars from my sons crew team. It just wasn't working. Without even thinking, I just wiped everything off my board and started this one. Funny how that happens with hardly a thought! I do like the way this one turned out. Let me know what you think!

blue finch

This cute little blue finch was a pleasure to paint. It came easy, it was fluid, and I was able to keep it loose with the palette knife. All the paintings have been fun so far, and I certainly am all over the place with subject and style, but maybe that's exactly what keeps it so fun. You can go see all the other 30 in 30 challenge paintings at http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/. Have a great day! SOLD

red mg

One day this past summer a friend was visiting with his cute red mg. I had to shoot some photos because of the beautiful reflections. It was a fun subject to paint with the reflections on the hood and in the lights and chrome. A fun challenge!

sunflower

My painting for today for my 30 day challenge. This was a challenging one for me. Happy to say it turned out okay. It's a happy little painting...

rooster

I had lots of fun with this rooster painting inspired by all the wonderful rooster palette knife paintings by Leslie Saeta (http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com). Thanks for the inspiration, Leslie! SOLD

bungalow on linden street

This is an adorable bungalow on my street. My painting style was inspired by the blog post by Karin Jurick. If you haven't seen it yet you can check it out at (http://karinjurickpaints.blogspot.com/2013/01/painting-toledo.html). I think this is my 19th painting in the 30 day challenge with Leslie Saeta (I think I am two or three behind...it has certainly been challenging for me!). Let me know what you think!

sheepish?

Okay, so this one is a little bit crazy and wild for me. But art is not supposed to be safe and sane, right? It should be a little crazy sometimes (often? always?). I guess that's how you learn. It certainly was fun! Let me know what you think...

tiny bird

So, I am doing the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge with Leslie Saeta. It is quite a tall order for me, but I am giving it a shot. If nothing else, so far I have learned that I need to have a "Blogger" blog to communicate with all the other wonderful artist doing this. I do have a website and blog at kimmyerssmith.com, created in wordpress, but I don't seem to have seamless communication with everyone with comments, etc. So here I am on Blogger, too. This painting of tiny bird was fun. Actually they have all been fun (I think this may be about number 15 or 16). I hope I am growing my skills as an artist. On this one I tried using a palette knife like the very talented artist who is hosting the 30 day challenge. I really love her style. You can check it out at http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com.

Let me know what you think of my bird. It certainly forces me to paint more loosely...SOLD