Skip to main content

Tribute (Augie's Collar), from the Tags, Toys & Treasures Series

"Tribute," from the "Tags, Toys & Treasures" series, 12" square, acrylic on canvasboard, still life depicting dog collar and tags, exquisitely framed, $749 to the first taker. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to my local shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. Inquiries may always come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

I have a similar painting hanging here in my studio. It's a favorite because it reminds me of what I had, what I have, and what will come to me. The proverbial circle of life.

Today's piece is a tribute to all who have crossed the bridge. I know the Dog-a-Day family lost quite a few over the holidays. I have friends and family who's lives are emptier now, too. My heart goes out to all of you.

This collar belonged to a friend's dog (thank you, Juliet). I tried to light it evenly, but you can actually see traces of my easel lamp along with a paler shadow cast from the window. I need to figure out a way to properly light still lifes - feel free to send me your suggestions (also, if you have objects you think I would be interested in painting, please email me! ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com).

And dang but it feels good to be painting again! I finally got to try out the fistful of new brushes I splurged on right before the holiday, and they are yummy (Utrecht mixed synthetics, brights, filberts and flats, along with a few oddballs). There's no substitute for good tools and materials. That's the honest truth.

Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing my paintings with your friends and family.
See you tomorrow,
Kim

PS At the risk of sounding like a broken record, have you ordered your copy of Painting a Dog a Day - the First Year yet? or checked out the paintings for sale at my Etsy store? come on - what's holding you up?!

Comments

  1. This is a great painting, and I like the shadows. Here's an idea: to light a still life get or construct a large box with one side removed. Sit it on a table with the open end facing you. Arrange the still life object(s) inside and illuminate with your light source. The top, bottom, and sides of the box should keep out other unwanted light from getting in. If you can't get the angle you want for your light you can cut a whole somewhere on the top or a side and point it in there.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do have a box, and it works wonders for finger puppets and small toys, but it will not work for things that are hung on a wall. Boxes will only work for items smaller than the box. I should have specified that I have a very small studio, and am challenged in finding a flexible way to set up still lives without taking over the entire studio. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tabby Kit

"Tabby Kit," 5" x 7", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a tiny little orange striped guy from Morgue File . This painting can be yours for $289, which includes s&h inside the US. And in case you didn't see it, a little doodle of him is also available for sale here . Inquires may come directly to me .  Although it certainly doesn't FEEL like spring here (snow and ice and wind chills, brr!), I can tell that spring is coming. The mercury is rising a wee bit each day and the days are getting longer and brighter. Over the weekend we drove with the moonroof open just to feel the sun's meager and oh-so-very-welcome warmth (although the heat in the car was cranked, too, in the interest of full disclosure!). I wanted to work with spring-like colors today, and this little guy was still on my mind , so I grabbed a small panel and got to work. Of course, I also have Poppy to finish and some changes to make to another po
“Rapt (Shadow),” from the Larger than Life series, 16”x22”, acrylic black lab mixed breed pet portrait on gallery wrapped canvas, $699. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is Shadow, who went missing on Sunday night. He belongs to a friend of mine, and has been a fixture in our community for many years. Errant fireworks scared the silly old guy into running off, and his family is busy searching for him. (If you happen to be in the Lake Orion/Oakland County area and have seen Shadow, please call 248-391-0867 or 248-391-6817) I’m confidant that he is safe (somewhere!) and awaiting discovery, but meanwhile, couldn’t help myself from posting his portrait as today’s dog a day painting . He’s constantly on my mind, and probably will remain so, until he finds his way back home. Hug your four legged guys while you can! Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ dis

NEW! Etsy Store

One of my favorite unsold paintings from 2008, "Lashes & Corkscrews," 5" x 8", acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a tobiano buckskin curly horse, $289. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com (but read further on how you can get a special deal on this painting!). Now it's ridiculously easy to browse my painting archives. All you have to do is visit my Etsy store . Etsy has a Shopping Cart (so you can pile it high with purchases from a variety of artists), is integrated with Paypal (although you may still pay by check if you prefer to), and is terribly simple to navigate. When the week has ended, I will have listed almost 100 of my favorite (UNSOLD!) paintings here, grouped loosely by subject matter. During 2009 I'll update the shop regularly, and add non-Dog-a-Day pieces as a bonus, thus making it easy to search for that perfect gift. Watch my daily postings for announcements, promotions and discount codes. If you do not receive the Dog-a-Day emails (