Paintings With Soul

"Lorek Byrnison," Toy #23, 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, depicting a Schleich polar bear figurine I've dubbed Lorek, after the polar bear-ish character in The Golden Compass (book). This painting is $75, including shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as  asking . My Fantasy World I absolutely adore reading, almost as much as I love painting. As a result, my head is full of lively characters, all personalities I bonded with during some marvelous adventure. And it may sound strange, but I consider them friends and confidantes, and do carry on conversations with them in my head. It's quite a party in there on any given day. I guess a true reader will understand. So Lorek Byrnison is just such a character. He hails from Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials . He honors promises and values true friendship. He embraces who he is and loves purely. And, to me, he became an emblem of almost religious proportions: m...

"T Rex," Toy #19, 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite. This painting features a Schleich plastic dinosaur, freshly grown in our Dinosaur Garden. This painting is $75, including shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as  asking . SOLD (THANK YOU!) Yes, you read that right. We have a dinosaur garden. It's a perennial one, self sows/reseeds every year underneath some giant hostas and magical foxgloves. It is home to Grandpa Toad (he's a very happy, very large toad) and his descendants, along with a collection of tiny dinosaurs and dragons that co-exist quite nicely. Kids always ask where we got our dinosaur garden. But it came with our house, so I'm not sure where to tell them to get one of their own. But I have heard, if you make a comfy dinosaur nest, you might entice one to move in and start up his/her own commune. Please note, there is a difference between making a dinosaur nest and a warm bed for feral cats. Make sure...

"Grey III," 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a dark bay Schleich model draft horse, $329 to the first asking nicely . There's a lot to be said for working in a series - it really gives you the opportunity to lose yourself in an idea. This week , my challenge has been using a limited number of colors (5 tubes of paint), mixing harmonious yet colorful grays, while working up simple still lifes inspired by model horses. I can't stop. I have to - I have some commissions to get to - but I can't stop. I may squeeze another one in later tonite. So far there's three paintings in this series - Gray I and Gray II remain available. All three of these will look gorgeous grouped together and I will give preferential pricing to any collector who wishes to purchase the collection. Message me! Pics of all the Gray paintings, including in process ones, are here . Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Wa...

"Grey II," 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a gray Schleich model pony, $329 to the first asking nicely . I told you I couldn't wait to get back into the studio last nite. And this is what I painted, while dinner was roasting. Another model/toy horse, a Schleich dappled gray. Here's the tubes of paint I used: Titanium White Cadmium Yellow Dark Alizarine Hue Ultramarine Blue Carbon Black Been doing computer and paperwork all day, but I've got another one set up, which perhaps I will get to later tonite after a handful of meetings. Fingers and toes crossed it'll work out that way! Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Warmly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Grey I," 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a gray Schleich model pony, $329 to the first asking nicely . The light is grim in Michigan today, which meant I could set up a still life in the studio and not have much ambient light change affect my setup. I pulled out this Schleich pony, on loan from a fan who happens to live in my neighborhood AND her daughter dances with mine (go figure! we didn't even know that!), and set out a limited palette. Titanium White Cadmium Yellow Dark Alizarine Hue Ultramarine Blue Carbon Black There is such luminosity here and delicate transitions to my planes - I enjoyed carving this painting out immensely! So much so that I grabbed another pony and got him all lit dramatically. And then realized it was time to start shuttling kids to and fro. But, once we all are home again, I want to have another go at this. Maybe after dinner and homework. In process pics (including Gray II...

"Gris," 8" x 10", acrylics on museum quality panel, a still life depicting a toy dappled gray pony (Schleich), crayon and penny, $469 to the first  asking nicely  . View In Process Photos Ask Nicely & Buy Me Now Still using that crayon - this time in a mid-range composition full of subtle transitions. Next up I suppose is a white on white, right?  Although I don't yet have a white model horse. Does that give me permission to go ebay-ing? In all seriousness, if you have Breyer or Schleich models you would like to lend as props, let's talk . I don't have much more storage room, and God forbid I rehome some of my creepy dolls. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim

View In Process Photos Ask Nicely & Buy Me Now "Cornflower," 8" x 10", acrylics on museum quality panel, a still life depicting a Schleich toy draft horse and some other items, $469 to the first  asking nicely  . First I painted the Schleich horse, but there wasn't anything identifying him as a toy So I added some marbles, but things got even more confusing.  It was then that I saw my pristine box of crayons on the shelf. Which got me to thinking that this painting completely summarized my childhood in a few simple items. There will be more of these once I get some other commitments completed. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim