"Leaving Boston" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Leaving Boston" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I recently made an early morning trek into Boston on an overcast, rainy day.  I always love seeing the Boston skyline and all the iconic buildings.  If I can't see the famous Citgo sign, I look for the Prudential Center or the Hancock tower.   There was a lot going on in this scene so I focused on simply painting the shapes and colors and tried to simplify things as much as possible and let the viewer fill in all the details. 

This 8 inch square painting is available for $95. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Jackson" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Jackson" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas

This is Jackson - a yellow lab. Jackson suffers from FOCD (which stands for Frisbee Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). In his heyday, Jackson could catch a Frisbee like nobody's business -- didn't matter how high or how far you threw it. He was somehow able to calculate all the physics -- angle of ascent, wind speed, wind direction, etc. He knew exactly where to run and how high to jump to catch it -- just about every time.

Unfortunately, as a senior dog, Jackson's joints aren't what they used to be. He would still LOVE to spend hours retrieving the Frisbee but his owners limit him to a couple of throws a day, otherwise, he'll end up limping. So, when you suffer from FOCD, you need to devise other ways to satisfy your craving. During the summer months, that is pretty easy for Jackson. He drops the Frisbee into one side of the pool. The wind and current from the water filter carries the Frisbee across to the other side where Jackson waits and snatches up the Frisbee to start the process all over again. And again. And again. And again.

This painting was commissioned as a present to Jackson's owners. They are thrilled with their new painting. It is such a great feeling to know that my art brings joy into someone's home.

"Sprayer" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Sprayer" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Growing up, I enjoyed playing practical jokes.  My mother was my favorite target.  Periodically, I'd wrap a rubber band around the spray nozzle lever so that she'd get soaked when she turned on the faucet.  She fell for it every time, much to my delight, and never noticed the yellow rubber band.  When she started getting wise to me, I switched to black thread.  Yes, she always had to be on her toes. 

Unfortunately for me, her current kitchen sink has the sprayer integrated into the faucet so that joke has gone by the wayside.  I really hope my kids don't read this post as I still have a spray nozzle on my sink.

This 6 inch square painting is available for $60. If you are interested in purchasing it, you can do so in several ways:

1. Art on Main: For those who live in the Westford, MA area, visit Art on Main, 40 Main St, Westford, MA 01886. We accept credit cards, checks and cash.

2. PayPal: For those who live far away, click the "Buy Now" button below to pay by PayPal/credit card. I will carefully pack and then ship the painting directly to your door.

3. Personal check or money order: If you're not a fan of paying on-line, I accept personal checks and money orders. Just send me an email (LaurieGMiller@gmail.com) and we'll work out the details.

"Westford House of Pizza" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Westford House of Pizza" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

Ever since I painted “Westford House of Pizza,” I’ve had a craving for pizza. This place has been in business since 1972 and is a favorite gathering place for Westford Academy kids.

This painting was a real challenge as the glass reflects items in the parking lot but also allows a partial view into the restaurant. It took a long time for the painting to pull together as I worked slowly to fill in the glass section by section.

"Stonewall Trio" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Stonewall Trio" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Le Gourmet Jardin, the small shop connected to Art on Main, sells Stonewall Kitchen products. Lately, I’ve been buying the “Spicy Corn Relish” which tastes very fresh and has a nice kick to it. I always wanted to paint it since I really like the shape of the jar and the color of the relish: yellow corn mixed with bits of red peppers and green Jalapeno peppers.

The main rule of creating a good composition is variety. Take note of how the jars face slightly different directions, there is a larger gap between the middle and right jar, and I selected three different flavors to vary the color of the ingredients.

You can purchase this painting for $60 at Art on Main or directly from me by clicking on the "Buy Now" button below.

"Ginger" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

This is Ginger, a yellow Labrador Retriever that lives in NYC. Ginger is quite dapper with her red polka dot bowtie. I’ve packed up the painting and will ship it off on Monday to her owner.

Whenever I paint from photos, the prints lose a lot of depth and color. When working on this painting, I positioned my computer right next to my easel so I could see the image on the screen.  I could still see details in shadow areas and it worked great.