Skip to main content

About the Artist



First and foremost, I am a Mom. This means I have eyes in the back of my head, spot on intuition, the patience of a saint and mountains of compassion. And let’s not forget the minivan.  (Update, a teenaged driver totalled said minivan (everyone is ok!), and I now drive a sedan, but it has plenty deep trunk with lots of space for artwork!!)

Conveniently, these are also all prerequisites for being an artist.

I have to see every single detail, interpret said details through your eyes, run them through my own filter, and then pick up the brushes and paint.

I am asked all the time “why do you paint?” Despite the frequency of this question, I have yet to come up with a particularly brilliant answer. 

I simply paint, I have always painted, because like breathing, I must.

I am wired this way.

Painting is much, much more than making a pretty picture. It is my livelihood. It is how I support my family. It is a passion I gratefully share with my students. It is how I give back to my community. It is an example to my kids (and others) to follow their dreams. It is also how I maintain my sanity (ok, that last point about my sanity has been questioned, just for the record).

I’ve got college degrees in art and art history, an extensive professional background in many different art arenas and some odder life experiences (like writing automobile owners manuals) that add up to who I am today. My work is widely and enthusiastically collected, sitting in corporate collections and homes around the world, and has been honored with a variety of wonderful awards.

I invite you to sign up to follow my daily pieces, stay in touch via social media, browse my portfolio, or visit my work in person. Then shoot me an email and share your thoughts.

I sincerely thank you for your time, your ideas, your business and your referrals.

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 (