Paintings With Soul

"Red Roses," 24" x 30", acrylics, charcoal and ink on panel, a portrait of my first studio muse, Miah, crowned with red spray roses. Hard to believe she's been gone 8 years now..... She would have owned this look in real life. "Red Roses" is $699 and will go to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may always come  to me . Also, I have started  "Briar Rose," inspired by the same bouquet of roses topping Miah's portrait. Gotta get some mileage out of these blooms before they are too faded and wilty. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    WORKSHOPS: "Color-iffic," Montague, Michigan (near Grand Rapids), September 8-9th, 2016. For further information or to enroll, please contact  Korrine Rodgers . "Color-iffic", 2 days, Crooked Tree Art Center, Traverse City, MI, October 8-9, 2016. Click here for further information or to enroll.

"Wally's Garden," 12" x 16", acrylics on an Ampersand panel, depicting Wally, a kitty from my childhood, and some special guests. You can read more about the idea behind this painting in the captions accompanying the in process photos. This painting will be heading to my childhood best friend's home shortly.   My childhood BFF lost her both parents last month. I have so much more than merely fond memories of them, because I am living a life that they actively nurtured and set me upon. You see, her Mom introduced me to the fine art of throwing a tea party. To taking pride in your work (this woman embroidered enough fabric to reupholster her entire house - and did!). To fairies (she sprinkled me with fairy dust the day of my high school graduation). She took me to my first symphony. And my first visit to a museum. Her home was my introduction to playing piano and PBS. She regularly took me to Baskin Robbins (and patiently waited for m...

AT TOP, "Rosie," below, "Abby," two 5"x7" commissioned kitty portraits I completed today. Each of them are in acrylics on museum quality panels, and both are headed to a new home next week. Want something like this for yourself? email me . I worked on these two simultaneously - there's plenty of in process images over on the studio FB page. Also, don't forget to send in your photos - you just might be gifted a Valentine's day portrait next week! Complete rules to below - please take a minute and make certain your submission follows the guidelines. It makes my decision making process so much easier. Thanks for following along with my artwork,  Kim  ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Above one of the Valentine Day entries - Zoey wants her portrait painted! Here's how it works: Send 2-3 clear, non-flash copyright free photos of your pet  to me via email , using the subj...

"Forty Five Lives," 9" x 12", portrait of five black kitties, done in acrylics on museum quality panel, available to the first collector asking nicely, $540 including s&h inside the US. Inquiries may come to me . When I saw the inspiration photo for this painting on Bernie Kazmarski's blog in early December, I couldn't resist asking if she'd let me paint it. Even though she is a artist herself and probably wanting to paint it herself. So I held my breath and crossed my fingers and toes and hoped hoped hoped she would just say yes. Which she did, and it was so fast that I hadn't even yet turned blue. I am so grateful to her for sharing the photo - and looking forward to seeing her interpretation as well! Thanks for following along with my artwork! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

  IN PROCESS:  "Opie," 9" x 12", commissioned portrait of a sunbathing black cat, acrylics on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!).    Want a painting of your own? then  email me !!   In process photos will continue to be uploaded  here .   Thanks so much for following along with my artwork! Enjoy your weekend, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Marley," 6" square, commissioned black cat painting, acrylic on panel, private collection (THANK YOU!). Marley is going to make one heck of a Christmas gift!! His painting, that is. The real Marley wouldn't go so well for sitting still under the tree all wrapped up.... What's been going on in the studio? Lots of book work - fact checking, proofing and design Prepping paintings to go to an exhibition Fielding inquiries and emails (see sidebar) Editing an article for publication Breaking into the Halloween candy stash (but don't tell the kids!) Hope you have a spectacular weekend!! Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Commissions & Inquiries I always accept commissions - it's just a matter of how far out I am scheduled. As of this posting, I am booking daily portraits for early December of this year. My cutoff date for holiday gifts is December 15th.  But never fear! If ...

"Pick Me, Pick Me !! (Little Nicky)," from "The Gratitude Project," (2) 6-1/2" x 3" panels which together create one 6-1/2" x 6" painting, done in Golden Open Acrylics on Raymar panels, depicting a tiny black shelter kitty. $299 will get you both paintings and a donation made to the San Francisco SPCA, where this wee little one hailed from. Inquiries may come to me . SOLD. "The Gratitude Project" evolved as I searched for a way to carry the serenity discovered at Best Friends during last summer's visit. Nothing makes me feel better than doing good - whether that be for a client or someone else - and the air in Kanab was saturated with peace from all the positive change created at the Sanctuary. I connected with a few of my friends involved with rescue across the country and shared my idea of painting and profiling shelter animals, who, regardless of their circumstances, maintain the capacity to love and forgive. Everyone I spoke ...

"Sunning Herself," 16" square, acrylic on 2" cradeled Ampersand Gessobord (see image below for an appreciation of the depth of the panel), commissioned pet portrait of a black kitty, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life, or commissioning a "re-paint" like this one) may always come to me . Those of you who are long time Dog a Day readers may remember the original version of this painting from May 2008. When my ancient black cat and right hand crossed the bridge, I found tremendous solace in painting her likeness. For months afterwards. And when a new collector recently asked if I could paint another version because my kitty looked so much like her old girl, and then her mother secretly came on board and asked if I could do it as a surprise birthday gift, the whole premise changed. "Sunning Herself" has a greater nuance of color and tremend...

It seems to have been awhile since I shared the progress of a painting, and given that tonite I demo-ed for the Shelby Township Fine Art Society (who were wonderfully gracious and attentive and a generally fantastic group, thank you), I thought I might review the process of how I approach the creation of a portrait (how's THAT for a run-on sentence?!). At the very beginning, I reduce my subject matter to planes and basic shapes. Using a round brush, I roughly indicate their placement on the board (you can faintly see some of the marks in the ragdoll's body and face), and moving to a larger flat brush, I start to lay in blocks of color. I tend to use arbitrary color at this stage, just because I can and it's more visually exciting and these bold colors create a little bit of dance or vibration when peeking through the subsequent layers of paint. I also try to get my values correct here because I can assess whether the composition works - if it is a strong abstraction at this...

"Winter Sunlight III (Miah)," 5" x 7", black cat portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, my personal collection. Inquiries may come to me . It's been a while since I last painted Miah , my original studio muse. This new painting came from the photos I took during her final days. I couldn't decide if I wanted to depict her frail like she was in the pictures, or if I should add a little flesh to her silhouette and clean up the fur. I ended up somewhere in between. This painting has some beautiful passages, and because it doesn't have to strictly represent any particular cat or age, I have the freedom to leave it as is. A special thanks to the new collectors I met at the Addison Oaks event this last weekend. I ended up staying 1-1/2 hours after my scheduled end time in order to sketch portraits for those who were in line, and I am so appreciative of your patience and perseverance. It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed meeting all of you! Thanks, as always, ...

"Squint," 4" x 5", black cat painting, acrylic on canvasboard, $184. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to my local shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center, who has met their goal of being a no-kill and no-more-homeless-pets shelter far in advance of 2010! Inquiries may come to me . SOLD Had to paint a black cat today. A client sent me references that were so reminescent of Miah, my kitty angel, that I had to wallow in it a little bit. This little one isn't Miah, but I did pull on my memory of the way her fur pinked out in the sunshine and glints of blue peeked from her yellow eyes when the light was strong. I spent most of today doing the unthinkable (at least to me) - I scrubbed the studio, floor to ceiling. Being one who shuns housework whenever possible, this was a monumental undertaking. (Wish you could have seen my husband's face when he came home....) But it was necessary - I ordered new furniture/cabinetry and needed to set the stage ...

I'm guessing I've painted close to 700 different animals during the last 3-1/2 years. So it's bound to start happening more frequently - the emails and letters sharing the sad news of the passing of one of my muses. I got two of them just this last week.   I can't get over is how little time we actually have with our pets. We're lucky we get a decade, and even more time is like winning the lottery, but there is no guarantee we'll even get a year. Yet we willingly jump in with both feet. Over and over and over again.   Last year when I lost Miah, the original black cat and studio muse (pictured above), it was devastating. I was still struggling with Turtledove's (her sidekick, also pictured above) death a few months earlier, and the entire house seemed like a shell.   It was the community of Dog a Day readers - you! - who gathered around and shored me up with tears, stories, and hope. I wasn't alone, it would get easier, and wasn't I...

Yes, I know you were regalled with equines last week, and I promised some dogs, but today belonged to cats. The sun was warm and strong, the best kind for basking, and I got to thinking that it's been nearly a year since I helped my Miah cross the bridge, so a black cat seemed to be in order. FROM TOP: "Black Cat, Green Eyes," 6" x 8", $324 and "Glancing Sunlight," 4" x 8"; both acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a black cat in the sunlight. Inquiries may always come to me . Both SOLD . This is Sing-Song, who belongs to a friend of mine, who, surprise!, is another artist. "Glancing Sunlight" is my gift to Donna as a thank you for the use of her black cat photos, which translated so very nicely to paint. (There's another one which I will take on at a future date). What else is up? Hmm. let's see.... I am the guest blogger on Horse Artist Carrie Lewis's painting blog this week. My painting "Black...

"Molly," 5" x 7", cat portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $249. Inquiries may come to me .   Don't you just love the color in her? I do. There are untold layers of paint - this piece glows when you hold it in your hands. Paintings like Molly's are why I stand in front of the easel each day - a solid combination of color and loose brushwork.   I may have another new love as well. Have you heard of creative journalling? It's a cross between writing, sketching, scrapbooking and collage, and a great way to feed one's energy. I've always kept diaries/journals/blogs, and I am in the studio creating nearly every day, so it seemed a natural choice.   Below is today's page. (I don't do a page each day, but one every couple weeks - and sometimes I work on a page or spread for several weeks before moving on.) This is a silhouette of the original studio muse Miah who crossed the bridge almost a year ago. Wow. It's been almost a y...

FROM TOP/LEFT: "Fierce Hunter," 4" x 8", $249, SOLD ; "Cleo," 4" x 5", $184, SOLD . Both paintings in acrylic on canvasboard. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I've been in a Shih-tzu groove lately - once I realized that, I had to mix it up with an old standby - the black cat. I rustled through old photos of Miah, and came up with one where she was hunting Turtle's tail. You know the game - Cat A is quietly lying there, minding her own business, totally oblivious to Cat B, who is stalking and waiting for the right moment to pounce. That was my two. Hard to believe it'll be a year Saturday since Turtle died, and 6 months gone by since Miah. Sigh. Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at and sharing these paintings with your friends and family. See you tomorrow, Kim

"Blue Mandalyn", 6" x 12", tuxedo kitten portrait, acrylic on board, $359. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . This is Mandalyn, a kitten I will be painting and blogging about regularly over the next few months. Mandalyn is under verterinarian care at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (Kenab, Utah) for a variety of serious injuries. Her little body may be encased in plaster, but that hasn't dampened her spirit. You can read more about Mandalyn on the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary website - http://www.bestfriends.org/ - under the Guardian Angels section. I don't know what it was about this kitten that spoke to me, but she spoke up loudly and clearly across the miles. And within a very short period of time, I was able to iron out a partnership with the staff at Best Friends, who welcomed my idea of painting Mandalyn regularly through her recovery. Every couple of weeks I'll share a new painting with you, and provide a little update on her progress ...

"Chicken Little," 8" square, black cat portrait in acrylic on board, collection of the artist. Before you inundate me with emails pointing out the fact that this is supposed to be "Painting a Dog a Day," I ask your forgiveness, as I do have an explanation. This is my Miah (her nickname was Chicken Little), who I lost this last May. Regular Dog-a-Day readers will remember that I painted her sister Turtle a few weeks ago. Well, you can't do one and not the other, can you?! This painting, along with Turtle's "Calico in Profile" from September 5th, will go to the Southeastern Michigan's Portrait Show. They should prove to be a stunning entry, probably my best to date. In the past few years I've been lucky enough, not just to get juried into this very competitive show, but to receive ribbons, so I have high hopes for my girls. They definately represent what I've learned this year, and are continuing as studio muses i...

"Silhouette," 8" square, black cat portrait , acrylic on canvasboard. This one is mine. Although inquiries may still come to me at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com - I can always paint something special just for you. You know, I hate this green carpet. It came with our house and is ancient and matted and just plain ugly. But because it was relatively clean, we left it and made other, more pressing, home improvements. (After all, it wasn't nearly as ugly as the copper and silver folied paisley wallpaper in the family room!). By the time we worked our way through all the other rooms and got to replacing the carpet, the cats were sick. It made no sense to put down anything new. Now we're talking about tearing it up, maybe even this weekend. So why am I not excited about getting it out of here? The green, though, really makes a nice backdrop for Miah. My recent paintings of Miah remind me of ancient Chinese paintings, the ones with elegant ladies or flowers in beautif...

My apologies in advance to all you dog fans out there - I know you've seen quite a few cats lately. I promise to get back to canines starting tomorrow. "Winter Sunlight," 14" x 20", portrait of my Miah, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. I'm keeping this one for myself. Miah took a turn for the worse over the weekend. This morning it was time to let her go. I held he while she crossed the bridge, and shed what felt like the millionth tear. I didn't feel much like doing anything but lingering with her memories most of the morning, so I indulged myself. When I wandered into the studio to sort through the mail, this half-finished canvas was staring at me. I had blocked it in immediately after painting two dog-a-day paintings of Miah earlier this year (posted on March 11th, 2008). I found myself pulling the canvas down and setting my palette up with the greens. As a kitten Miah rode on my shoulders when I painted. What I wouldn't give to feel her warmth ...

"Black Cat Profile (Winnie)," 4" x 8", black long haired cat portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $149. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. I have literally been painting all day. Winnie's Mom sent so many great photos of Winnie and Bela, that I could not choose. I did 4 pieces today, two of each kitty, and am waiting to hear which ones she would like, if any (so this one could be sold). I thought I would post my favorite, but when I lined them up, again I couldn't choose. I'm a pro at waffling, I guess. I do love the sinuous shape of Winnie in this painting. The dashes of color, the highlights in her fur, the casual pose. A taller portrait is a tough one to pull off - I've tried, too, let me tell you! It works this time around, though. Thanks, as always for looking, and for sharing these paintings with your friends and family. I'm off to choose from an array of terrier photos for tomorrow's piece. Back to waffling again! Kim ...