Paintings With Soul

"Come On In, The Water's Perfect," the newest Water Dog painting, 12" square, depicting a Great Pyranees in a wading pool, acrylics on a museum quality panel, $599 (unframed) to the first one  asking nicely . But you have to  ask nicely  inside the span of a week, because otherwise I'm shipping this painting to Sheldon Fine Art in Naples, Florida. There it'll get framed up beautifully and snatched up, soon, too, I imagine. Lots of in-process photos are available on  the studio Facebook page . Fondly, Kim, who is off to dig out Christmas decorations and start decking her halls ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

    "Repose," 5" x 7," depicting a friend's golden retriever lounging in her studio, acrylics on a museum quality panel. Sacha's portrait is headed to an exhibition, so not immediately available for purchase.   However, if you must have him (and I know how that is!)  shoot me an email and I'll put you in touch with the exhibition coordinators.   And if you would like to order notecards or reproductions, you can do so  here .   This painting went through some interesting changes - first a striped couch, then a solid pink cushion, before finally settling on a vintage pineapple pattern. After all, pineapples represent hospitality and friendliness, and who's better at making you feel welcome than golden retrievers? You can view photographs of the painting's progress and comment or ask questions on  the studio Facebook page .   Fondly Kim, who is thinking of sprucing up her front entrance to make it mo...

      "Dexie," 6" x 8," a chocolate labrador retriever portrait done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, headed to a private collection (THANK YOU!!).   However,  let me know  if you would like something similar starring your own best friend. It's too late to book a portrait for the year's end, but I can totally hook you up with a gift certificate. Or a killer Valentine's gift - think about THAT!!   You can view in process pics of Dexie's portrait on  the studio's Facebook page  - I update in process pics of whatever's on my easel at least several days each week.   Discipline is hard this time of year. I am preparing ideas for new works to exhibit in 2013, yet I have to stay focused and work on commissioned pieces and bide my time. I'm itching to spend a couple days painting my own c...

    "Phoebe," 9" x 12," a posthumous portrait done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a beloved companion. Phoebe's painting has a home, thank you, but let me know  if you would like something similar starring your own best friend.   You can view in process pics of Phoebe's portrait on  the studio's Facebook page  - I started her yesterday afternoon (November 26th, 2012)   While it's no secret that I love saturated color, I also love the challenge of working tonally in softer hues. Phoebe's portrait gave me a perfect excuse to hone my modeling skills using subtle tonal and temperature shifts.   And lots of room for abstracted brushwork, too.   Now I'm off to drive The Princess to ballet class, Kim, who is remembering the dozens of white-on-white still lifes she painted to learn subtle value shifts and the Color of White  ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com ...

    And into the holiday season we rush..... but stop! Wait a minute - get yourself a cup of tea and sit and simmer. Savor all the delights that the end of the year brings - music, tastes, rituals. Enjoy some down time for yourself - make that your gift!   And Nita, well, she'll fetch snowballs anytime!!   To implement this month's desktop calendar, simply download the file  directly from my website . I've set up a couple different ways to do this, either via the photo album or a direct link.   I am by no means an expert on the variety of operating systems, so I highly recommend that if you don't know how to change your desktop wallpaper, don't email me for advice. Instead consult your computer's help files - they will be more concise, more knowledgeable and more responsive than I could ever hope to be.    I've sized this to fit a standard screen height of 768 - I realize there are lots of variables tha...

The last week I both revised and completed paintings I had previously shared, so I thought I would provide updates.   "Poppy," 8" x 12", got a patterned blanket as opposed to the plain one I originally included. This painting is available for $529 - interested parties can  email me .       "Bear," 11" x 15," got a fine spray of water droplets and reflections added to his composition. Bear's painting has a home - stay tuned for reproductions and notecards, which I will make available next week.   I'm signing off for the week to maximize my family time. I hope you are able to enjoy the things you cherish this weekend as well.   Happy Thanksgiving, Kim, who is salivating right now over the promise of corn bread and sausage stuffing ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

  IN PROCESS:  "Bear," from the "Water Dogs" series, 11" x 15," done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a golden retriever. A very wet golden retriever. This painting is already spoken for, but let's talk about doing more water dogs -  email me .   You can view in process pics of Bear's portrait on  the studio's Facebook page .   I will finish Bear later tonite (and you can follow that on  FB tonite as it unfolds, too, so pour a glass of wine for yourself and join me) - but I'm dashing off shortly for carpool (this is hopefully my last school carpool for a bit as The Caped Crusader potentially gets a walking boot/cast on Friday!!) and post office (am sending three paintings to new homes) and ballet (sigh. I love that The Princess dances and I adore the group of young ladies that she dances with).    Toodle Loo, Kim, who compromised by listening to Swan Lake AND The Nutcracker in the studio t...

"Nikki and Yori," 12" x 16," done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a chow mix and a German Shepherd Dog. This is a commissioned portrait, and as such, is heading to a new home next week. However, inquiries on how you can get something similar may come to me . I started this one a little before 11 am (and that doesn't count the groundwork done prior to picking up the brushes, learning about the animals' personalities, reviewing photos, and putting a composition together) and just signed it a little bit ago. Granted, there was a break to pick the kids up from school and to inhale some dinner, but for the most part, this painting was done in one sitting. One nearly 11 hour sitting. Add the 2 hours of computer work I did earlier, and that's an honest day's work!! I LOVE days like this, and have enough adrenaline to start another painting tonite, but think I'll punch out and spend some time with ...

"Poppy," 8" x 12," done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, depiting a yellow lab, dreaming of no-place-like-home. This painting is available for $529 to the first one asking nicely.  And if nobody snags this painting as is, I may change that drape to green...... In process pics - lots of them - are on the  studio's Facebook page . Feel free to comment - ask about my process (arbitratray and unpremeditated) or what sort of music I was listening to (Rickie Lee Jones) or whatever you wish (coconut macaroons). Happy weekend, Kim, who is already cheering the LOHS Dragon football team on, even though the state semi-finals game is tomorrow afternoon ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com PS I woke up on Saturday (the day after I posted this) and decided I wasn't happy with the drape being the same color scheme (roughly) as Poppy, so I repainted it. I also modified the front of the couch so that it wasn't in such a flat sha...

  "Yoshi," a painted sketch, roughly 4" x 5" on a 9" x 12" sheet of bristol board, done in acrylics, blood, sweat and tears. This piece is in a private collection - thank you very much!   Fabulous date last nite with My Better Half and the Amazing Amanda Palmer. And tonite we have another date, this time with the Lake Orion High School Drumline Parent Corps (in other words, the parent volunteers).   Tomorrow I'm filming an interview at a local cable channel and delivering a couple paintings for an in-home audition before leading my wonderful group of grownUP Journallers in our last gathering of the year.   Wild and crazy stuff happening around these parts!!   Fondly, Kim, who is nearly finished with the book Gone Girl and isn't quite sure how to follow it up ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

  I didn't make it to the easel today. Sometimes days just work out that way, despite good intentions. But instead of pining for what I didn't get done, here's what I DID get accomplished: Packed three paintings off to new homes and shipped a half dozen to gallerys in New York and Naples Invoiced sales and booked new commissions Fielded inquiries for new projects Draftied an outline for Thursday's cable show interview (I will be on a local cable show which is filming in 2 days) Began collecting materials and reviewing my lesson plan for Thursday evening's grownUPs journaling workshop Placed a supplies order Got a much needed haircut - I've had a ponytail for the last 6 months!! Actually took a lunch break and spent an hour reading - gasp! - a non-art book (Gone Girl, for those who must know, and a title I simply cannot put down) So tomorrow I get to paint all day long. That is, if I can get through enough paperwork tonite. And t...

  "Leia and The General," image approximately 12" x 7" roughly centered on a 17" x 14" piece of bristol board, done in acrylics. This special commission will be headed soon to a new home (thank you so very much!).     It's not every Monday I get to paint Princess Leia and The General. I'm just saying.   Fondly, Kim, who is grateful for her little Star Wars jaunt today, but also for the sacrifices of the millions of men and women who put their lives on hold to protect my freedoms. And the freedoms of my family. There is no compensation for that, but my heart is trying. ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

  "Maggie Kitten," image approximately 10" x 5" roughly centered on a 12" x 9" piece of bristol board, done in acrylics, depicting little Maggie and her spotted belly, Private collection.   ORDER REPRODUCTIONS/NOTECARDS     I suspect Maggie's painting will quickly become a favorite, so I loaded her up onto  FineArtAmerica,  where you can order reproductions and notecards.   There's lots of other paintings there, too (I have well over 200). I recently added a gallery exclusively for  images new to the site , to make it easier for regular visitors to see what's changed.   And if you don't see what you want, let me know - I'll be happy to add it if I can!   Enjoy your weekend, Kim, who is grateful to have another opportunity this evening to hear the Lake Orion Marching Band play (did you hear they placed 2nd in the State last weekend?!!). Oh yeah, and to watch some excellent high schoo...

"Incoming," 11" x 14", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting two labrador retriever pups, black and yellow, available for $599 to the first one asking nicely. Inquiries may come  to me . SOLD. Lots of in process pics and a conversation about the painting are  here,  on the studio Facebook page. I'm looking for more water dog muses - Sheldon will be needing fresh paintings in the new year! You can  email your photos to me  with absolutely no obligation to make a purchase. Now I'm off to work on the two commissioned sketches I should have started yesterday. Fondly, Kim, who is becoming far too good at procrastination ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Water Dogs I couldn't be more thrilled to share that  Sheldon Fine Arts  in Naples Florida will be representing my artwork beginning in December 2012. Sheldon will be exhibiting a sampling of my Water Dogs paintings, s...

  "Incoming," 11" x 14", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting two labrador retriever pups, black and yellow, available for $599 to the first one asking nicely. Inquiries may come  to me .   And in process pics are  here,  on the studio Facebook page.   It was a wonderfully rich day, starting with breakfast with my boys (Wednesdays are late starts at our high school, and our ritual is going out to breakfast), and ending with a revelry of music (we started with a guitar lesson and tied things up over flute practice).    And I chose a marvelously complex painting to complete today - I may not finish till after midnite, but I haven't felt this alive in a long time.   Was it starting my day with the asiago bagel warm from the oven and a hazelnut coffee? getting serenaded with astounding gee-tar picking skills? packing lunches while the kids debated chocolate chip pancakes vs peanut butter cookies? ...

  In case you've been living in a cave, it's Election Day here in the US.   It doesn't matter who or what you vote for - what matters is that you vote.   Our country is far from perfect, but we are lucky enough to have a say in choosing our leadership and helping steer the future.   Don't waste your shot! Getcher butt to the polls before they close, Kim, who is looking forward to no more automated political phone calls starting tomorrow ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    

  "Toby," sketch done in acrylic on bristol board, approximately 4" x 6" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" page, depiciting a Sheltie, commissioned and in a private collection (THANK YOU!).     I came into the studio in my jammies this morning and started sketching. It's been productive, going directly to the easel instead of the computer. My brain wasn't yet weighed down with a to do list - maybe this is the new routine I'm searching for.   If you want a commissioned sketch like Toby's, they are only available until the end of this year.   Don't know what the difference is between a sketch and a portrait?   A sketch is a small study, done with very loose brushwork, often enclosed in a rectangular form like the above piece. It is done on paper, and carries a generous margin on all sides.   A portrait comes in a variety of sizes and are done on museum quality panels. Portraits carry far m...

  "Mazie Lou," sketch done in acrylic on bristol board, approximately 5" square roughly centered on a 9" x 12" page, depiciting a Cavalier King Charles-Cocker Spaniel mix, commissioned and in a private collection (THANK YOU!).     I did lots more sketching today, along with delivering three works to a new show, planning several future exhibitions, readying a solid stack of paintings for shipping next week, and working up concepts for new portraits.   And now I'm off to watch some high school playoffs football.   Go Dragons!! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    

  "Rosie 1" and "Rosie II," sketches done in acrylic on bristol board, each image approximately 5" square roughly centered on a 9" x 12" page, commissioned images and, as such, in a private collection (THANK YOU!).     Both these sketches are fulfillment for a gift certificate, a gift certificate given last year at the holidays (or maybe it was Father's Day?).   Gift certificates are a great way to get the recipient involved in the portrait process, from sharing their memories of the dog's personality to choosing (or shooting!) reference photos to building a composition.   Each certificate is custom created with a breed specific image and a face value you determine. When slipped into a frame, they make for a gorgeous presentation as well.   Email me  if you are interested in gifting a certificate this holiday season!   Fondly, Kim, who is very close to od-ing on fun-sized chocolates ...