Painting A Day Archives - Page 11 of 17 - Ashley Hackshaw / Lil Blue Boo

New Paintings – Boats, Birds and Abstracts

October 14, 2017 by Ashley Hackshaw

I finally quit painting long enough to list a few more on Etsy. I love the direction that some of these have taken. Some days my style is loose and others I find myself mired in meticulous detail…it all depends on what I had for breakfast and the weather I guess.

Here are nine recent paintings:

“How They Get to the Bigger Boats” – SOLD

I spent some time in Rockport and Gloucester last week with my friend Sarah. It’s hard not to be inspired by the beautiful light and scenery. I took so many photos and this was painted from one of them.

28″ x 22″ on 1/2″ gallery wrapped canvas

“Her Superpower Was Joy”

Sometimes I just start painting and it doesn’t turn into anything and then I start painting again, erasing the old painting and creating something new just because I find so much joy in the process. This painting is a painting over a painting over a painting and then one day it was finished.

20″ x 20″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

Click here to view/purchase on Etsy.

“What The Bird Wove into the Nest”

I found a bird nest that has this amazing blue ribbon woven into it, along with a small pink thread. It deserved a painting.

20″ x 20″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

Click here to view/purchase on Etsy.

“Raven (Party Animal)” – SOLD

My friend Dwayne took a photo of this raven when he reached Alaska last year. It was staring right at him. Such a serious stare deserved a party hat.

20″ x 20″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

“The Jersey Cow”

I just love cows. I could paint them every day but sometimes I run out of cows to paint. Cows forever.

20″ x 20″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

Click here to view/purchase on Etsy.

“The Girl With The Pearl Earring”

I used to try and recreate old masterpieces as practice. The last time I painted one on a large scale was in 2001 when I painted a mural of Klimt’s The Kiss on our townhouse wall. We moved soon afterwards but it did help sell the house. I wonder if it’s still there. At least this one is portable.

24″ x 24″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

Click here to view/purchase on Etsy.

“Lobster Buoys” – SOLD

More inspiration from Rockport.

24″ x 24″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

“Quiet Places”

“I have a need in me for quiet spaces / for sandy headlands and the tranquil sea / the far dim arc where the horizon traces / the blend of finite with infinity.” -author unknown

20″ x 20″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

Click here to view/purchase on Etsy.

“Mockingbird (Party Animal)”

I always love painting birds. This oversized mockingbird needed some vibrant color so I added the festive bunting behind.

20″ x 20″ on 1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas

Click here to view/purchase on Etsy.

Thank you so much for looking and thank you to everyone who supports handmade and small business!

New Animal Paintings

September 22, 2017 by Ashley Hackshaw

It’s now been almost 253 days of painting. I find themes finding there way into my work as I go…like the landscapes and now these new animal paintings. It’s fun to group them together to see a small body of work!

Even as an adult, every single time I pass a cow, I say “Look, a cow.” So that’s what I named this painting.

Look, A Cow! – SOLD

Look, A Cow!

Layered and Distressed Acrylic Painting on Cradled Wood. Gloss varnish finish.
Walnut-stained rustic pine frames the outside.
25.375″ x 25.375″ x 1.5″

Brett and Boo went to Yellowstone without me last year but I heard all about the bison they saw and the amazing traffic jam it created. I pass a farm on my way to Charlotte that has acres of bison and I love seeing their sweet little calves.

Gentle Giant – SOLD

Gentle Giant
Layered and Textured Acrylic Painting on Cradled Wood. Satin varnish finish.
Walnut-stained rustic pine frames the outside.
25.75″ x 25.675″ x 1.5″

A while back I was visiting a produce stand and the farmer told me, “An elk just sauntered right in and stole an apple right off the table.

The Elk that Took the Apple – SOLD

The Elk that Took the Apple
Layered and Textured Acrylic Painting on Cradled Wood. Satin varnish finish.
Walnut-stained rustic pine frames the outside.
25.675″ x 25.875″ x 1.5″

My cousin-in-law photographs the deer family that lives on her property. This is the baby of the family: Rocket.

A Fawn Named Rocket

A Fawn Named Rocket
Layered and Textured Acrylic Painting on Cradled Wood. Satin varnish finish.
Walnut-stained rustic pine frames the outside.
Exact measurements with frame: 25.75″ x 25.5″ x 1.5″

Purchase on Etsy here.

My cousin-in-law Deborah also sent me this bunny to paint. Sometimes there’s no fancy name…an animal just wants to be called what it is.

Bunny – SOLD

Bunny
Original layered painting on gallery canvas.
Painted on an 20″ x 20″ Gallery Wrapped 1.5″ Canvas.

And last but not least, this is Darla. You can read Darla’s story here. I’m not sure how I stumbled upon Odd Man Inn but I love their work as a barnyard animal refuge. I love each and every one of their animals and I asked if they would mind if I painted a few of them. Darla was spent dairy cow rescued by the animal refuge Odd Man Inn. She knew so much love at the end of her life thanks to this wonderful organization. A portion of the proceeds from this painting will help sponsor an animal from their shelter.

Darla – SOLD

Darla
Layered Acrylic Painting on Cradled Wood. Gloss varnish finish.
Walnut-stained rustic pine frames the outside.
Exact measurements with frame: 25.75″ x 25.675″ x 1.5″

Update: Darla the Cow sold and we sponsored Coco the pig who I fell in love with because she reminds me so much of my sweet Happy!

I’m always trying to find a way to rescue and help more animals, mostly by supporting people that have devoted their lives to rescue. My painting is slowly evolving into a way to do that. Once when I was making one of many donations to an animal shelter Brett mentioned that maybe we should look at our budget first. I responded, “No one ever went broke by giving all their money away,” something I’d heard on a podcast. We throw that saying back and forth all the time now and I finally figured out that it came from Anne Frank and the actual quote was “No one has ever become poor by giving.” So maybe I added the “ALL” to my quote…but I still believe it. We’ll see where this takes me and I’m sure we could always go live with my mother if we actually did go broke. (just kidding mom…kind of.) Anyway, what I’m trying to say is THANK YOU to everyone who reads the blog, supports my art and helps me to do what I do. You are the reason any of this works.

You can find more paintings on Etsy here. Thanks for looking!

New Landscape Paintings

August 31, 2017 by Ashley Hackshaw

In the past I’ve listed paintings on Etsy so sporadically so I’m trying something new. I’ve been collecting themes together and I’m going to be listing them in a blog post first with links to Etsy.

The Silos at Ferguson Farm – SOLD