Sadie, Mixed Breed Sweetheart

"Sadie," 6" x 8", commissioned dog portrait of a mixed breed, acrylic on canvasboard, in a private collection (thank you!!). Want a Dog-a-Day painting of your own? Check out how right here or send an inquiry my way -ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

Don't you love Sadie's eyes? I found myself wanting to cradle her head in my hands while I painted, she had such a strong presence here in the studio.

This piece was done wet on wet, meaning that the paint was pushed around while the previous layer hadn't yet dried. This process makes for a very soft painting with beautiful color harmony, but when you are painting with acrylics you've got to work fast!!

Speaking of painting with acrylics, I'm laying the groundwork for my first workshop. I'm leaning towards a 3 day session, with a focus on acrylic painting (although the principals will apply to a number of different media). I will emphasize using a restricted palette to improve knowledge of color mixing, share some creativity maintenance ideas, and build in lots of opportunity to paint. The workshop will involve a demo, discussion about palette and color usage, along with exercises structured to improve your compositional skills and your painting confidence. We will complete at least one painting daily, ideally two. It will take place in the Detroit area, most likely this fall, so that participants can also enjoy the fall color and maybe steal some time for plein air work while they are here. Any interested parties please email me.

Thanks, as always, for looking at my paintings and sharing them with your friends and family.

Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you Monday!

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

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