Paintings With Soul

"Green Mandalyn," 4" x 8", kitten portrait in acrylic on board. Proceeds from the sale of Mandalyn's painting will be donated to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary ( www.bestfriends.org ) .Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Remember Mandalyn (from November 10th - http://tinyurl.com/56s37a )? Here's another painting of her. She is continuing to recover from her wounds, and seems to understand that she must leave them alone. She has won the hearts of the Best Friends staff, and I am certain that once her health issues are resolved, this little one will quickly find a forever home. You can follow Mandalyn's progress on the Best Friends website (listed above), in the Guardian Angel section. This painting is similar in composition to "Fierce Hunter" (from November 20th - http://tinyurl.com/62rc39 ), but looks entirely different. A combination of softer colors and a variety of edgework keep Mandalyn's portrait from being a simple exercis...

"Mastiff Profile," 8" x 16", acrylic mastiff portrait on canvasboard, available for purchase with proceeds benefitting animal welfare. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . A portion of the sale of this painting will go to One Tail at a Time in Ohio. Within the last month, a friend had a very positive experience adopting a dear mastiff from their rescue. I had an opportunity to talk to the director of One Tail at a Time, and her energy and dedication was inspiring. I wanted to help support them and other dogs like Henry (aka Memphis) with a painting. Right now, One Tail at a Time has a litter of special needs puppies, and funds from the sale of this painting will be earmarked for their vet bills. You can read more about the rescue and pups at http://t.ymlp67.com/wjaiaujyafaujwhavausmm/click.php . If the above painting doesn't appeal to you, consider making a donation to One Tail at a Time and helping these pups (and the other dogs in their car...

WHOOPS! Posted to the newsgroup yesterday, but neglected to follow through after dinner and post to the blog. My apologies!! "Princess Cassandra of the Marigolds (also in Charge of Sweet Potatoes and Petunias)," 4" x 6", mixed breed dog portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, $199 (I'm waiting to hear back - this one might already be sold - but I'll start a waiting list). Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . This painting, while small in size, carries the longest title of any Dog-a-Day piece to date. That's really her name. But you can call her "Cassie" for short. I especially love how the painting fades "into" her face - it reminds me of the way a form begins to take shape from a lump of clay. This part was entirely accidental - but a wonderful accident (that's my point of view, at least!). I've been debating the merits of taking some time off next week. I'd love to linger in the grocery (well, honestly, it...

FROM TOP/LEFT: "Fierce Hunter," 4" x 8", $249, SOLD ; "Cleo," 4" x 5", $184, SOLD . Both paintings in acrylic on canvasboard. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I've been in a Shih-tzu groove lately - once I realized that, I had to mix it up with an old standby - the black cat. I rustled through old photos of Miah, and came up with one where she was hunting Turtle's tail. You know the game - Cat A is quietly lying there, minding her own business, totally oblivious to Cat B, who is stalking and waiting for the right moment to pounce. That was my two. Hard to believe it'll be a year Saturday since Turtle died, and 6 months gone by since Miah. Sigh. Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at and sharing these paintings with your friends and family. See you tomorrow, Kim

FROM TOP: "Milo," 5" x 7"; and "Emma," 6"x8"; both commissioned shih-tzu portraits in acrylic on canvasboard, both headed to a new home (THANK YOU!). Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . These two remind me of Muppets. Such lively little faces, with fur and hair everywhere. And a total contrast to today's studio background soundtrack - I started out with The Nutcracker (it WAS snowing this morning), but it wasn't edgy enough, and I shifted gears to Amy Winehouse. What a fun day in the studio!! You might have noticed the subtle new look to the daily emails. That's because I've changed delivery services. I learned that Google Newsgroups, my old provider, was not reliable. Over the last week, when investigating why some Dog-a-Day subscribers were not receiving their daily painting, I discovered that some email servers block Google generated emails, especially those with attachments or images, as part of their spam reductio...

"Joe," 8" square, dog portrait starring an australian shepherd, acrylic on canvasboard, $349 to the first taker. Inquiries may always come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This piece looks so blah on the computer. In real life, Joe is all aglow with light, you can see the waves of his fur, and practically hear him panting. Again, I want to mention the painting I have listed on ebay. The auction ends today around 8pm EST. http://t.ymlp67.com/wsaxaujqacahbwakausue/click.php is the link you need to view and bid!! Thanks, as always, for looking my paintings and sharing them with your friends and family. See you tomorrow, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/

"Susie Sheltie," 6" square, pet portrait of a Sheltie, acrylic on board, $249. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Susie is the other "make-up" portrait that goes along with Bubbles (from Sat). Susie made the cut because of the tremendous effort her current family put forth to rescue her. Susie was starving, matted and terrified, bandoned in an industrial area near an international airport. It took a crew of volunteers several hours in inclement weather to crate Susie, after which she was taken immediately under the wing of one family and whisked into veterinarian care. Never daunted, the man who instigated all this (ironically, Susie bit him during the dramatic rescue) brought her without hesitation into his home and family, where she is now a beautiful and devoted companion. After Susie joined their family, they also became involved in Sheltie rescue, where they now assist with transports, opened their hearts and home to animals needi...

"Lona," 4" x 6", commissioned cat portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I love the color in Lona's portrait, and how the pink of her body bleeds into the orange background, which is also a mirror of the shadows in her eyes. I've placed a tag on my blog that will link you directly to blurb.com, where you can preview the first 15 pages of my book Painting a Dog a Day - the First Year. You may also place an order through this site. If you would like an inscribed copy of the book, however, your order must come through me. Send an email to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com if you are interested. Softcovers are $39.95 and hardcovers with a dustjackets are $54.95; shipping and handling will be an additional $4.95. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family, Kim

"Bubbles the Pug," 4" x 5", pug portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $184. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. A few weeks back I had two portraits cancel with short notice. I asked Dog-a-Day readers to submit their stories, and from the group I chose a couple faces to paint. It was a tough choice, but Little Miss Bubbles was one of them. Can you see why? That face!! I just love it. And her story, too, of course. When she came into the rescue group, young Bubbles had a mysteriously broken hip. She had it corrected surgically, worked her little curly tail off in rehab, and was fostered for a year until she found her now forever home. Happy endings. That's what I love. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family, Kim

FROM TOP: "Lucy" and "Desi," each 5" x 7", commissioned Westhighland Terrier portraits, private collection (THANK YOU!!). Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Another busy day today. Finalized details on the first press run of Painting a Dog a Day - The First Year, proofed printed ephemera that one of my paintings is in, volunteered at my children's elementary school, and got these two paintings completed. I'm ready to call it a day! Not sure if I'll get to paint tomorrow - the kids are off school, and we all have dental appointments. Later in the day I have an interview with a local newspaper, and my oldest son has an away soccer game in the evening. If I don't get in the studio tomorrow, I will be showing up over the weekend, as there's still a few faces I would like to paint this week and some other details to tie up. I've heard rumors that the Google servers haven't been reliably delivering the dog-a-day emails. If...

FROM TOP: "All Squared Up," 6" square, and "In Profile," 4" x 8", $249; both chihuahua portraits in acrylic on canvasboard. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . BOTH SOLD I tried something interesting with these two. The long and skinny canvas I toned a bright pumpkin orange, the square canvas I toned in a peachy flesh color. Then I laid the paintings down overtop the wet underpainting. Consequently, the smaller painting seems bolder - those snippets of orange add a firey glow to the piece. The square painting carries more softness, I think because of the lighter ground. I also used the exact same structure of colors, painting these side by side and simultaneously. I primarily used blues and oranges (compliments), yet the saturation is very different in each. The bolder underpainting demanded similar points of equal intensity. The softer underpainting allowed for a density and variety of edgework. Oddly (not sure this was intention...

"Fifty-Two Vignettes," 18" x 22", original painting, acrylic on gallery stretched canvas, depicting the top breeds as registered by the American Kennel Club in 2007. This was one of my entries for the 2008 American Kennel Club-Eukanuba Poster Competition. (The design that won was delightfully clever (and sadly not mine) - a child gazing at a sky filled with dog-shaped clouds.) When I shared "Fifty-Two Vignettes" with Dog-a-Day readers last month there were a number of you who asked for the opportunity to purchase this piece when I decided to put it on the market. Well, I've decided. It needs a good home. I'm trying something new - this painting will be auctioned off on ebay - you can see the listing at http://tinyurl.com/6dxn9x . The auction will go live at 6pm PST today (November 11th, 2008) and run for 7 days. Starting price is a mere $99!! This painting was created using over 50 portraits from the Painting a Dog a Day project. It is done on gall...

"Blue Mandalyn", 6" x 12", tuxedo kitten portrait, acrylic on board, $359. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . This is Mandalyn, a kitten I will be painting and blogging about regularly over the next few months. Mandalyn is under verterinarian care at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (Kenab, Utah) for a variety of serious injuries. Her little body may be encased in plaster, but that hasn't dampened her spirit. You can read more about Mandalyn on the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary website - http://www.bestfriends.org/ - under the Guardian Angels section. I don't know what it was about this kitten that spoke to me, but she spoke up loudly and clearly across the miles. And within a very short period of time, I was able to iron out a partnership with the staff at Best Friends, who welcomed my idea of painting Mandalyn regularly through her recovery. Every couple of weeks I'll share a new painting with you, and provide a little update on her progress ...

It's Dog-a-Day happy hour! 2 for 1!! FROM TOP: "You are Getting Verrry Sleepy.....,", 8" square, $349, and "Glow in the Dark Ears," 6" square, $249. Both pieces depicting a tri-colored Chihuahua in acrylic on board. My client will take one (she's making up her mind) - who wants the other? Takers can email me at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Both pieces SOLD. This is a nice example of how the same photo inspires multiple paintings that are entirely different moods. Keep in mind that on the computer you are viewing these paintings the same size, but the full body piece is 150% larger then the little guy. The sweeps of color are beautiful - and you should see my palette, all full of the same lavendars, apricots and blues! Please do share these paintings with your friends and family, and have a great weekend! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/

"Dazzle," 6" square, Paws with a Cause service dog portrait, acrylic on board, $249 to the first buyer. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to Paws with a Cause. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Paws with a Cause is a national group dedicated to providing assistance dogs for people with disabilities. They also provide a lifetime of support, fostering independance. I took this from their mission statement - read more for yourself at http://www.pawswithacause.org/ . In the beginning of the Painting a Dog a Day project I met UKON, a Paws service dog. Shortly after that, I got to paint Madison and Sirius, and the list goes on and on. Each Paws dog I meet is uniquely special, and to personally witness the bond they share with their person is humbling. To support the efforts of Paws with a Cause through my painting sales is phenomenal. I met Dazzle last winter at the Detroit Kennel Club dog show. She was all too eager to go thro...

"A Long Night (Emma and Marcy)," 8" x 16", commissioned golden retriever portrait in acrylic on board, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including how you can commission your own Dog-a-Day portrait) may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . "A Long Night" is a special holiday gift for my clients' parents, who lost both dogs this last year. Although there is a new generation of goldens in the household now, there is no denying the special place Emma and Marcy held. And yes, the title is a nod in part to how late I stayed up following election results. The piece isn't entirely done (maybe 90%) - it's scale and intricacy is far more than what I normally tackle in one day, even with a full eight hours of sleep. So I'll live with Emma and Marcy for a couple days, identifying what should be finessed. But in the meanwhile, I wanted to share their painting with you. Sleep well tonight! Thanks, as always, for looking at, and for sharin...

"Kimo," 8" square, commissioned dalmation portrait, acrylic on board, private collection (Kimo's painting is a holiday gift). Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I love painting black and white dogs. The fun for me is trying to imagine them without any spots, and I build the architecture of their face using soft flesh and pastel tones. Then I punch up the painting by finishing off the eyes, and the final touch is laying the spots down. I go from a generic, ghost-like face, to one bursting with personality, just in a matter of minutes. Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at, and sharing, these paintings. See you tomorrow, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/

"Sunbather I (Roxy)," 8" square, terrier mixed breed dog portrait, acrylic on board, collection of the artist. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at, and sharing these paintings, with your friends and family. Please do forward the images - it'll help Roxy's painting find a home, and in return, help who knows how many other shelter animals find forever homes too. I am feeling brave - I enabled comments here on the Dog-a-Day blog. Feel free to share your thoughts!! See you tomorrow! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/

"Gray and White Tuxedo," 5" x 7", long haired cat portrait, acrylic on board, $249 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD . I've been in the studio a good chunk of the weekend and was so thrilled with this new little painting that I simply couldn't wait to share it with you. Hence, a Sunday Bonus Dog-a-Day. This is a cat who was at my local shelter a few weeks back. Such wonderfully soft fur, like angora, with a silent purr that tickled my bones. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to the Oakland Pet Fund ( http://www.oaklandpetfund.org/ ) to help this cat and hundreds others like him find forever homes. This painting would make a beautiful holiday gift, and in turn, would give also back to the critters at my shelter. Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing these paintings with your friends and family. See you tomorrow, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/