I'm Shelley Smart and I moved to the amazingly beautiful Hollywood Beach in Oxnard, California in February 2010.
For my first whole year at the beach, February 21, 2010 until February 20, 2011, I challenged myself to compile
a daily record in photographs and words of "A Year at the Beach." I DID IT!

Now it's time to get back to painting! I intend to post one painting a week for one year inspired by my beach photography.
And hopefully I'll add to that with other paintings as well. I will not push myself quite so hard on this blog!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Citrus Delight

I wanted to paint some more fruit since I enjoyed the apples I did previously so I set up a more analogous color scheme. It was a lot of fun working with these colors. (Corny name, though!)

Citrus Delights, 8x10", oil on archival linen board, $125 incl ship



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Monday, June 27, 2011

Painting No. 15

Waiting, 8x10", oil on archival canvas board, $125 incl US ship



I enjoy seeing the colorful beach umbrellas spread out on the beach. This one was waiting for its people to spread their blankets and pile up in its shade.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Sunset at the Beach

Sunset, oil on canvas, 8x16", $200 incl US ship

Sunsets at the beach often have a quiet quality to them, and I think this painting captures that feeling.
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Monday, June 6, 2011

Painting No. 14

Sunrise, oil on linen panel, 5x7"
I loved the muted colors of this sunrise on December 7, 2010. Such a lovely quiet morning.
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Monday, May 30, 2011

Painting No. 13

Tank, oil on Gessobord, 9x12", $150, incl US ship

Tank is a presence on the beach, mild-mannered yet willing to sit on my dog... Here he's shown leaning up against his neighbor and friend Jack. His BFF is Lela.

I took his photo many times but this reference photo is from May 21, 2010.


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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Lila

Lila, charcoal on grey Canson paper, about 10x10", nfs

My husband's sister doesn't care for hats but tried on my hat one day at the beach, and of course, I took her photo -- and had to to draw her in charcoal on grey Canson paper. She hasn't seen it yet but I think she'll like it.
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Monday, May 23, 2011

Painting No. 12

This Bat Star painting was prompted by my sister who suggested I paint a starfish, because in her words, "It would be very beachy." True. But it turned out what she had in mind was actually a sand dollar. Sorry, Sis! The Bat Star intrigued me more!

I was thrilled when I saw this beautiful guy wash in with a wave on the beach on San Miguel Island during our September, 2010 painting trip to the Channel Islands. I took a couple shots, and the next time I looked, he was going back out with a wave, which made me happy. Although he seemed very healthy and felt alive (I had gently touched him), I had needlessly worried he was not either of those things.

Bat Star, oil on gessobord, 6x6", $100, incl US shipping


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