Paintings With Soul

Detail and full view of "The Edge of the World," 24" x 30", acrylic on panel, $899 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. This painting is currently hanging in the show "Muses, Myths and Magic" at   The Art of Custom Framing  through May 24th, 2019. Reach out to   Diana   if you are interested in purchasing. It's day 2 of Kentucky Derby Week, and I'm sharing a painting I thought was unfinished. I didn't know what else it needed, so tucked it away in a stack of other such pieces. But when I came across her a few weeks ago, I saw that she was done. And glorious in her detail. This is a paint-over - there is a portrait of The Princess underneath, and while her face has been entirely covered, much of the marks around the perimeter of the panel remain or peek through the new layer of paint. I love this sort of effect. I call it ghosting. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

From the archives, this is "Big, Bigger, Biggest," a 10" x 12" painting that now sits in a private collection (thank you very much!). One of my favorite things to teach is the complexity of whites and blacks. Neither are straight up, and when a student processes this for the first time, it gives me goosebumps. The simple exercise of studying a black and white object in different environments is a great beginning. Half of being an artist is about learning to see beyond preconceived notions. The next time you look at a sky, count the variety of blues there. And really look at those clouds - how many different colors do they hold? do YOU have goosebumps now? The last 30 days has been fun, wandering about in my archives and revisiting stories. Thanks for following along with me - I'll make a point to share older pieces more regularly. Fondly, Kim  

"Surviving," 20" x 16" x 1/2", acrylic on gallery wrap canvas (image painted around the sides so no need to frame), $649 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. I accept paypal/venmo/personal checks and welcome payment plans.   Please reach out   and let me know how we can get you "Surviving." It's Kentucky Derby Week, which means I will be sharing equine paintings in the days leading up to Saturday.  This is a new piece fresh from the easel. I titled it "Surviving" after   Kaz Hawkin's poignant song of the same title. While the song is about her own story of domestic abuse, it's a swansong for anyone seeking change, and I know there's many of us doing so these days.   Listen to the song and know that you can survive, too . Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

Above are just a few of my kids' art pieces. The Man Child's "Still Life With Flying Dog" is in the back, The Princess's "Finnigan Says Good Morning to the Sun," and The Caped Crusader's "Finningan" rattle (made of fired clay). For those new to my art journey, I have worked as an artist the past 18 years, from a studio in the hearf of our home, all the while raising my kids. Oftentimes, as any parent can tell you, there was no separation between the two responsibilities. When I had a pressing deadline, the kids would often be alongside me on easels or working in sketchbooks at my feet. Some days even, The Princess was in charge of creating the daily painting because I had another pressing task, or the boys would make dinner so that I could get another hour in the studio. They all know how to varnish a painting and are skilled at building boxes and shipping preparations. And I think they each also are very gifted creative...

Originally this painting above, Snow Much Fun, was to be the last one shared this month. However, I couldn't resist moving it up a couple days, given the weather forecast for today. Nobody wants to see snow - the real stuff - at the very end of April. This painting had me grinning ear to ear the whole time I worked on it. It stars none other than Nita, whom I've painted before many times, and was inspired by a series of photos   Lisa (Team Husar Photography)   texted me one wintry afternoon. It's a 36" wide piece and has quite the presence. There's no mistaking the sheer joy this dog has for chasing snowballs. If you want snow for yourself at the end of April - or any time of the year - you can order a print (or other object) of Snow Much Fun   here . Thanks as always for following along with my art journey, Fondly, Kim  

This is my meditation corner, and the artwork rotates depending upon what energy I'm trying to channel. This little painting is a 4" x 6" portrait of my first dog, Beau. As anyone who grew up with a dog knows, they walk at our sides far longer than their mere lifespan. And Beau is no exception. When I'm feeling particularly uncertain, his nose is right there at my knee, and I can feel the warm curve of his head on my palm. This painting was done 15 years after he passed, from a cloudy instamatic photo I had carried in my wallet. A photo which I still have. Hard to believe that it'll be 28 years this June.  Thanks as always for following along with my art journey, Fondly, Kim  

This is a pile of a few of my journals. From the top-down, a handmade book (class taught by   Fonda Clark Haight ), a   Ranger journal   (yellow and orange), a handmade hardbound book (class with   Ingrid Djikers , with button embellished page), an altered book (pink and red pages), an altered children's book (with the stencilled design), a handmade book by   Mary Sanders Lazenby (with the wolf spread), a second Ranger journal (b&w page in lower corner). In 2009 I had already been teaching art journaling, a combination of visual marks and text, to elementary aged students for a couple years. Their enthusiasm to explore mixed media pushed me to seek other examples, and that was how I discovered   Dawn Sokol's book 1000 Artist Journal Pages. The title (which I've loaned to someone, so sadly cannot include photos) includes full color reproductions of 1000 pages from various artists' journals. It is a fabulous introduction to t...

Over the years, I've been really blessed to have my work featured in a number of print publications. The above are just a few of the places you might have seen a painting of mine in a feature article or gracing the cover. "August," the image on the front of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, was a Painting a Dog a Day piece from 2012. I started - and finished - this painting in one long marathon day at the easel. It was perfectly suited for the cover of JAVMA. "August" was also accepted into (and sold at) the prestigious juried exhibition, "The Art Show at the Dog Show." This event is now, sadly, defunct, but in it's heyday, the show included only the best pieces from the best canine artists worldwide. It was highly competitive to get a piece juried in, and just as highly contested to receive an award. I was lucky to do both multiple times. Thanks for following along with me, Warmly, Kim

Above is a little video short made while drinking my tea this morning. Sal was perched on the couch arm, and couldn't figure out if he wanted to watch me, what was going on outside, or take a nap. I quietly waited until he made a decision, then quickly began finding my edges. The whole thing took about 5 minutes (with my ipad, ipencil and procreate). Painting is 1000xs harder if you don't know how to draw. So many decisions made at the easel involve drawing - whether it be with a brush, a piece of chalk or in our heads. In order to create believable form, one has to have a solid understanding of their subject matter. And drawing - from life, every chance I get - is the best way I know to learn. Technology makes this a bit easier with a variety of apps, touch screens and tools. Or one can choose to practice the old fashioned way, with pencil and paper. It doesn't matter the approach - both ways will teach eye hand coordination and practice ...

Martha's portrait is overall the most visited and most ordered of my entire   FineArtAmerica storefront .** And that says a lot - Since 2010, I have had over 300 images uploaded (more have rotated through over the years, so that total count is probably double that!), and over 434,000 visitors. And Martha came along a year into those stats, yet she is still owning the leader board. Why do you suppose that is? It's gotta be more than just girl power...... **If you don't know,   FineArtAmerica   is the online vendor I use for prints, reproductions and other objects featuring my artwork. I upload images after the original has sold. Prices start around $5, and there's some truly fun products like cell phone cases, wall tapestries and tote bags. Thanks for following along with me, Warmly, Kim

This is Simon, from 2011, my favorite of several portraits I've been lucky enough to create. His family's super power is that they can't resist a beagle in need. Let me tell you about them. In the early days of Painting a Dog a Day, I set aside one week each month to feature my paintings of homeless animals and tell their stories, with proceeds going back to the host shelters/groups. I don't recall the timeframe, even, but I had painted a doe eyed beagle from my local shelter. This collector from out of state emailed and asked to purchase the painting. And then she went above and beyond, contacted the shelter arranged to sponsor the dog until he found a home. I have so many angels like this in my life. Real, tender, generous hearts, all around me. One thing the Painting a Dog a Day project did was highlight those souls - I always felt surrounded by love. Thanks for following along with me, Warmly, Kim

Wishing all a glorious end - or beginning, depending upon your point of view - to the week. And to a long winter.   Warmly, Kim

This is Yellow, a portrait I did in 2012. Originally, this was a commissioned painting, but my client disappeared. The portrait looked at me for months while I kept hoping that her person would just show up out of the blue. When it became obvious that wasn't going to happen, I made an executive decision. I re-worked the piece using lots of yellow. Because yellow = hope, and that's what I wanted for this little face. Then, right before the holidays, I auctioned her off - $2 a ticket - with the proceeds going to my local skelter. The homeless painting raised money for homeless animals. My collectors and fans delivered - the auction raised $860! It was the best feeling to walk into the shelter just a few days before Christmas and hand over that check. (SIDE NOTE: We also unexpectedly adopted daVinci that day, a tiny little bean of an abandoned kitten with broken whiskers and one heck of a purr.) All this good started with a project whi...

Back at the beginning of the 30Dogs30Days challenge, I shared a video short of myself doing a quick sketch. I wasn't terribly pleased with the quality of the footage, and made a note to do something a bit more thorough that didn't involve so much of my arms blocking the canvas. LOL. So here you go! I prefer the spontaneity that happens when i work directly with my brushes. Usually, a carefully drawn layout holds me back, as I focus more on keeping those edges in place and less on building dynamic marks. I have developed this process of working directly, from general to specific, with periods of re-drawing/establishing the edges, to best honor my own desire for expressive marks inside the boundaries of establishing a likeness. Enjoy the video - and feel free to jump in and share a direct sketch of your own! Drawing in paint is far easier than a pencil - the brushes are bigger, and you can work so much faster! Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork and jou...

"All the Better to See You With," 24" x 20" x 1-1/2", acrylics on cradeled panel, featuring a wolf (inspired by Abby Wambauch's book   Wolfpack ). This painting is $999 plus s&h to the first asking nicely, because manners are always important. Inquiries may come   to me . This wolf is a stand-in for powerful women the world over, who love unconditionally because their hearts are beating and their minds are open. You know who you are, and I see you too. In other news, if you visited   my Patreon   page that I shared yesterday - which is essentially a virtual classroom - you will find a lovely   video , along with step-by step   in process photos   of this particular painting. This is a sampling of the content that student subscribers receive when they join my Patreon for about the cost of a cup of coffee (a mere $5/month).   You are invited to learn more here. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork and journey. War...

"Symbiosis," 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, $899 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come   to me . This is another piece that has been loitering in the studio. At least 4 months or so. It happens to me all the time - an idea materializes, but it's only partially formed. If I wait for it to fully develop, it might fade away in the meanwhile. So I try to paint them as fast as they show up, and take them as far as I can. And then I wait. And while I wait, I beat myself up. "Self," I ask, "why haven't you finished this one? or that one? and did you forget about this one over here too? what's wrong with you? why can't you see what they need? you are pathetic. You know nothing. You are a fraud." Yup. The Fraud Police show up here too. Just in case you thought they only knew your address. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, War...

Photo courtesy of Vivos Images, Nancy Gutelius. I love   teaching   - there's nothing like sharing all I've managed to cram into my brain with a group of like minds. And when those ah-ha moments happen, it's glorious - goosebumps, joy, pride - it's a great time all around. Because learning is most successful when the environment matches the students' needs, I offer three different ways for us to work together: in person, one on one via Facetime, and a new online community. I travel once or twice a year and teach multi-day workshops. A host group sponsors, markets and sells the event, and then I show up to do my song and dance. I will be doing so in   Saginaw, Michigan   (this September) and in the Hudson River Valley of New York (next March). Links to the Saginaw workshop are on   my website ; the New York event will be added once they begin accepting reservations. Workshops are priced based on the various gr...

I've been a working artist for 18 years, and I learn something new every day. What I learned recently is that I've done a really poor job of sharing the fact that I wrote and published 3 volumes outlining the first years of Painting a Dog a Day. Above is the cover design of my 2nd book, "That's 14 in Dog Years." How did I become an author? It started out as my wanting to review the work I had created in the first 18 months of the project, so that I could see what I accomplished and set some goals. Of course, being OCD, I couldn't just scroll through photos of the paintings on my laptop. Nope, I had to write an entire book. And then I did one the next year, too. And one the following year. And then I was burned out. The act of designing, writing, editing, proofreading, marketing, pre-selling, and signing/wrapping/shipping was fun for a bit, but then it became something that took me away from the easel. I didn't start painting as a gatewa...

Once a year I would paint a mess of these little panels, roughly 4" square, featuring just a single dog tag. They typically sold pretty quickly. I wonder if I should paint some more of these in time for Mothers' and Fathers' Days..... It was great practice for painting shadows and learning how to stay loose, even when I wanted to paint all the itsy detail in whatever engraving remained. I have kept all our dogs' tags. I am particularly fond of the ones worn illegibly, with barely any color left to them.   Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork and journey. Warmly, Kim

With over 2000 paintings created since 2006, sometimes a title gets reused. I thought it would be fun to show and tell you about three of my Poppies. At the top is my first ever Poppy, so named for the pattern on the couch. The reference photo for this one came from a fellow artist (TY JT!), but I opted to change the couch and blanket to add color to the piece. I thought it would be "punny" to have the dog sleeping on a bed of poppies, aka Wizard of Oz-ish. I actually still own this painting ( she's got the most gorgeous custom frame on her ), so if you are falling in love with her,   reach out to me   for purchase details. In the middle is larger than life Poppy, named for her floral crown/drop. This painting is 36" x 48" and sits in a private collection (thank you!!). The muse for this came from none other than Lisa Husar of   Team Husar Photography.  There are prints and other items available carrying this image of Poppy thr...

"The Road Ahead," 5" x 5", acrylics on panel, private collection (thank you so much!). HOWEVER, prints and other items are available   here . This is another oldie but goodie, a quiet favorite of mine from 2011 I think. I had to lift the image off my FIneArtAmerica site because the high resolution original file was lost when the harddrive holding my image archives failed and my backup drive which backed up said archives crashed. My mouth probably should have been washed out with soap that day. The verbal antics rivaled those from this past winter when I accidentally deleted 6 months of daily painting inventory logs from the original and backed up files. Don't ask. Anywho, if you find yourself looking at a journey of sorts, may you find a sassy traveling companion, literally and figuratively. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork and journey. Warmly, Kim

"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," 24" x 36" x 1-1/2", acrylics on gallery stretched canvas, imaged painted around the sides so no need to frame, $1899 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come   to me . Magic has been patiently waiting here in the studio for about 2 months now. She showed up one day rather unexpectedly, trotting her way onto a canvas, and then, there she sat, unresolved. Whether she was telling me what to do next and I wasn't listening, I don't know. But suddenly, after signing "Not Little Red" yesterday, I saw her, and knew what I had to do. Yes, she's titled after The Police's song of the same name. It makes my feet move the same way her little hooves dance about. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

"Salvador Doggie," 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plua a&h to the first asking nicely. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come directly   to moi   - and thank you very much! A couple years ago, the kids and my hub got it in their heads that they wanted another dog, a little lap warmer. I wasn't so sure.  With a senior dog, two cats, a bunny, hamsters and a constant flow of kids at our house, I felt we already had enough going on. They ganged up for months, sending me links to Petfinder dogs with the saddest little faces, and I was the Mean Mom, saying nope. No. Nadda. It's not happening. And then, while walking into the pet store to get food for the three thousand animals we already were caring for, we ran into this little guy. There was an adoption event, and he was there, sitting on someone's lap. He locked eyes with The Princess, and then my hub, and he fell apart. It was like they w...

Above, in process, working title "Not Little Red," 24" x 30" x 1-1/2", acrylics on cradeled panel, $1299 plua a&h (when finished). I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come directly   to moi   - and thank you very much! Last night I read   Abby Wambach's   new book   Wolfpack , cover to cover. It woke my head and heart up in a quite remarkable way. And for a change, last night's dreams were not doom and gloom - they were packed full of women doing kind things for each other despite stressful and miserable circumstances. And there was always a wolf there, ever present. So I HAD to indulge myself today, despite a challenging to-do list. I HAD to acknowledge the wolf and spend more time with book's message - that women have the power within themselves to rewrite the rules. The painting's title hails from Abby's belief that we were never Riding Hood, we were always the wolf....