Paintings With Soul

Learn From My Mistakes.  24" x 36" x 1-1/2", acrylics on cradeled panel, not for sale. However, inquiries may always come to   me . My newest selfie - I've been doing these regularly for over 2 years. After so much practice, I am finally getting the hang of figurative painting. Still have a looooong way to go, but I am very pleased with all the forward progress I have made.

In process pic of "I'm Not Listening. Wait. Maybe I Am," 11" x 14", acrylics on museum quality panel depicting the one and only Mona Lisa, $599 to the first asking nicely . She WAS sleeping in a shaft of warm sunlight, but when I reached for my camera, I woke her up. She clearly was not pleased. Note that this is the only brush I've used to date on this painting. I like Big Butt Brushes (as we call them in my classes). Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com 

"Into the Light," 10" square, acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting Mona Lisa snuggled into a sliver of light, $499 to the first one emailing . In process photos are here . Mona snuggled in deep and slept soundly on The Caped Crusader's lap last nite, and I knew the image would haunt me until I painted it. Some days you just have to go with the flow - when inspiration strikes, I juggle things about and make the most of it. Next up? After dinner I'm teaching a couple dozen kids how to draw their pets' faces. And tomorrow I paint the Valentine portrait. Thanks for following along with my artwork,  Kim  ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Mona Lisa's Rainbow," 7" x 8", casein on museum quality panel, depicting that famous kitty with the elusive smile. I'm not certain that this piece is finished, but anticipate some will be in love with her as is, so set things up on FineArtAmerica (reproductions, notecards and smartphone cases) - order away right here . Meanwhile inquiries may come to moi . I've cut back on commissions so as to actively study and play with my materials. Play is a huge part (for me) of maintaining creative energy, and it's the first thing that gets set aside when my calendar starts to fill. It's important, too, that I continue to challenge myself to grow as an artist. Painting with other artists, exploring new media and approaches, along with continuing to work from life and study light and color, is mandatory. And these are all things set aside if I don't say "no" often enough. Today was a "yes" day f...

Four OClock (Mona Lisa), 8" x 10", acrylics on museum quality panel, portrait of the one and only Mona Lisa, available to the first one asking nicely for $469.  Inquiries  may come to me!!     I started Mo's latest painting yesterday (in process pics are here ), but was interrupted by two crises - one involving a broken down car and another over a missing uniform piece on game day.   My boss totally understood why I had to leave a little early!   Hope you have a wonderful weekend!! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

Mona Lisa, enjoying some sunshine but keeping an eye out for daVinci, who has a knack for the perfect ambush and happened to be "casually" ambling by. This will be a future painting.   I spend a lot of time in my workshops addressing all the aspects of being an artist that do NOT involve picking up a paintbrush. And while I am a daily painter, and my goal is to paint 5 days a week, that's not always my reality.   For instance, today I - reviewed a contract for upcoming workshop, coordinated revisions, and researched travel arrangements created marketing materials for a local event inventoried materials returning from last workshop, began packing and prepping for Sept classes sorted photos from previous two weeks' of events and archived digitally wrapped and shipped paintings to new homes updated website database fielded approx 150 emails sent hand written thank you notes paid a months' worth of bills began planning for this weeken...

      So I made it to Louisiana yesterday, despite a little last minute conspiring that got me to the airport later than I preferred (nothing like a little excitement to keep the arteries clear!). Here I am, in the land of green, and I'm not concerned in the least about the humidity because I do not have to dress in layers.   I even had naked ankles today. Shocking, I know, but I wasn't chilled in the least!   It's the little things in life!   So today's workshop was a lot of me talking. I talked and talked and talked and talked some more.   We did a segment on marketing for creatives and building a business plan. We talked about smothering our inner critics and painting with joy and abandon. We discussed our artwork as a product and severing our emotional ties. I introduced the tools that I use - both physical as well as software based.   And then I got started on a demo painting.    And ran out of t...

      "Sleeping Beauty," a Cherished painting and the latest piece inspired by Mona Lisa, 10" x 20", acrylic on museum quality panel. This piece will be entered in a portrait exhibition and available next month for $799 exquisitely framed - if you are interested in purchasing, please  email me .   I've worked on "Sleeping Beauty" over the last couple days, and there are lots of photos over on  the studio's Facebook page .   The reference photos for this painting were taken a couple years, back, within days of Mona's adoption. This was her first visit to the studio, where, after a cursory inspection of the room, she promptly found the warmest spot - my recently vacated desk chair - and oriented herself toward the sun. In reality Mona was about 2 lbs at the time - in this particular portrait, her head alone measures 5" - there's quite a difference in scale!   Fondly, Kim, who's already a c...

    "Striped," from the "Cherished" series. A portrait done to celebrate Mona Lisa's 2nd birthday - tuna sandwiches for all!! This is 12" x 16", acrylics on a museum quality panel, and $629. Inquiries may come  to me .   (Mona's first birthday portrait, "You Are My Sunshine," is here . Her "official" kitten portrait, "Tiny Kitten, Big Dreams," is  here .)   There are many, many, many, many in process views of "Striped" on  the studio's Facebook page . This painting was a bear to finish - taking me 4 days instead of the usual one. But I wasn't going to give up!   It's a great feeling, to look a demon in the face and tame it. Even if it does take 4 times longer than usual!!   I suppose if everything in life was easy, we would have no adventures.   Thanks for adventuring along with me!! Kim  ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com     ...

    In Process, "Striped," from the "Cherished" series and the latest Mona Lisa inspired portrait. Done to celebrate her second birthday (happy, happy day, Mo Bug!), this one is 12" x 16", acrylics on a museum quality panel, and when finished, will sell for $629. Inquiries may come  to me .   If you are a Facebook fan, you will have seen many, many, many, many in process views of "Striped" (some of them actually including stripes!) on  the studio's Facebook page . I've been working on this one the past three days.   And this painting is kicking my butt.   A great example of a reference photo that required a number of adjustments to translate into an equally stunning painting. And instead of stepping back and mapping out a clear plan once I discovered this, I continued to march forward without much direction.   I have a clearer vision now of where to take this, and I'll have a go at it later t...

  NEARLY COMPLETED: "Evil Eye (Badd Kitty #1)," 6" x 10", portrait of Mona Lisa, my gray tabby kitten, done in acrylic on a museum quality panel. Inquiries may come  to me .   This is the first painting in a new series of Badd Kitties - I'll be painting cats with attitude and reputations. Do you know of any?  We should talk  if you do......       Mona does this thing when I'm working late on the computer - she leaps up onto my desk, snugs in under my chin, and gives me a head bump.    She usually also "Kitty types" across my keyboard.   I gently pick her up and put her back on the floor and edit her typed comments. And two minutes later, she's back again.   She continues this game until I give in, turn the computer off, and take her up to bed (she sleeps in a warm little nest at my feet).    However, if I take too long, the head bumps stop.    Instead, she jumps onto the desktop in one gracefu...

(Working Title) "The Princess and the Pea," 12" x 14", yet another painting inspired by Mona Lisa, very much in process, and from last night's live demonstration at the Anchor Bay Artist's Guild. My reference photo is included at the left. I brought my panel (a Raymar one, in case anyone's interested) already primed a saturated and lilting Manganese Blue, and began laying this composition down as I shared some ideas about painting. As you can see, my mouth did more work than my brushes, but that's the beauty of watching an artist work. You can pick their brains and share their processes while the piece is coming to life. So what did we talk about? all sorts of things! the difference between what a photograph will tell you and what your eyes really see how to work with a color wheel to choose colors best suited to your subject/composition the benefits of working with a limited palette particulars about the types of tools I use (panels, paints, pa...

"Partners in Crime (Mona Lisa)," 6" x 8", painting of my studio kitten, done in Golden Open Acrylics on a Raymar panel, $329 to the first one asking nicely. A donation will also be made to the Oakland Pet Adoption Center when Mona's painting sells. For those of you new to Painting a Dog a Day, we adopted a teeny 2 lb Mona Lisa in early September from our local shelter. She had been dumped somewhere, all alone, and was picked up by an animal control officer before she got herself into trouble. She's quite a little spark in our household, keeping us all on our toes, even in the dark of night. She's mastered snuggling under covers, purring at your feet, playing blanket monster, and hogging the pillow. Someone tucked a sock monkey into the basket where she lounges during the day (my reference photo is near the bottom of today's blog). She scoops her body right in between Monkey's arms and legs and builds quite a nest for herself. It's wonde...

Hi. It's me again, Anna. My Mom went off to play Santa, or so she says. She's just delivering cheesecakes and wine and cookies and cards and stuff in regular clothes, but she's acting like it's a big deal and she's running about with flying reindeer. Mom, you drive a minivan. That's what I say. So I'm in charge of the blog again today. In honor of flying reindeer, I chose a page from my journal where I collaged birds. There's torn papers and cut edges, and some of the shapes were pieced from lots of little bits of tissue while the one bird was cut with a stencil I made and is just one big piece. This is a page that I did in one of Mom's Creative Journalling classes. Sometimes I go as her helper, and sometimes I go as a student. I like doing both for different reasons. I like getting to journal because you never know what will show up on your page when you are done. So that is it for today. I don't know if Mom will let me blog again tomorrow...