Paintings With Soul

I've been working on cow paintings this last week. The ones above have just returned from their travels to New York.  Clockwise from left:  Dude, 9x12, $469, Girlie, 10x10, $499, and One+One, 8x8, $399. S&H additional, each painting is an original acrylic on museum quality panel. I will combine shipping on multiple purchases. I accept personal checks, paypal and payment plans. Inquiries may come  to me . There's a couple newer ones on my Facebook page - 16x20 canvases - up for grabs. Alfalfa and Bangs.   Reach out to me   if you are interested in either - they are specially priced at $599 each. Thanks, as always, for supporting my art, Kim   

(previous working title "Mable") "Beryl," 30" x 30" x 1-1/2" museum quality cradled panel, starring a gentle cow and her wreath of blackberries. The image is entirely painted/wrapped around the edges, so there is no need to frame - she is ready to hang! And what a focal point she will be in your room, too! Beryl is available for purchase (I accept credit cards and can structure a payment plan - just ask!) - she's $3299 which includes complimentary shipping and handling inside the US. Inquiries may always come  to me . I started this one last month and have been picking away at her slowly, waiting for my blackberries to come in so that I could paint those from life. Which they have, and I did, and now she's done!! Wishing you all a glorious holiday weekend (clearly, I was so eager to start mine that I neglected to post this prior!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!), Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

"Maude," 30" x 30" x 1-3/4", acrylics on cradeled panel with the image wrapped around the edges. This painting was a commission, and I cannot wait to see Maude installed in my collector's new kitchen!  Original art is the best way I know to brighten up and personalize any space. I would be happy to paint something custom for your home -please  email me  and we can begin discussing your project. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

Now she's finished! "Girlie," 10" x 10", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a Hereford cow completely saturated with rainbow hues, $499 to the first one asking nicely. This includes s&h to a US address - message me for information. My new big panel for my new big painting arrives today - I'm eagerly awaiting the Fed X truck!! (so, too, is Finnigan)

IN PROCESS: "Girlie," 10" x 10", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting an Hereford saturated with rainbow hues, $499 to the first one asking nicely. This includes s&h to a US address - email me . I am practicing bovines for a big project..... stay tuned! Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

"Dude," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a delightful red and white cow (I am so not an expert on bovines - what breed cow is this?), $469 to the first one asking nicely. This includes s&h to a US address - email me . Today, Tulsa brought yoga with a lovely sunrise, inexplicably perfect macaroons and tea from Paris (in an Oklahoma based bakery), artisanal pizza served with Australian wine, some sort of street fighting that celebrates Cinco de Mayo, the Philbrook Museum (and a long overdue conversation with Bougereau, Sargeant and Henri), a lovely evening with a new friend enjoying her home and her fab art collection, both lunch and dinner al fresco, a gorgeous late afternoon stroll through an equally gorgeous historic neighborhood, loving on some most excellent dogs, a successful couple hours pushing paint, and cementing friendships with a few wonderful artists. In no particular order Have I said lately how much I love Tulsa...

         From June 2011, "Baby Moo," 5" square, Golden Open Acrylics on artists' Ampersand gessobord, depicting a young Holstein calf. This painting is available for $239 - inquiries may come  to me .   Taking a walk down memory lane today, remembering a end-of-school-year celebratory trip to a local diary for ice cream.  We took lots of farm pics, and I hurried home to paint this little gem.   What were you doing this time last year? Two years ago? longer?   Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Longhorn," 6" x 16", acrylic on museum quality panel, depicting some sort of long horned cattle (I clearly do not know my bovine breds!!), a new subject matter for me! $299 to  the first one asking nicely . It's getting to be a struggle to work at my easel and feel like my dailies are fresh and valuable. I'm nearing completion of 1400 Painting a Dog a Day paintings, and I suspect the walls are closing in on me. It's not that I want to change what I'm doing - I am passionate about my job - but I do want to change what I'm doing. I have been thinking a lot about authenticity. I can ignore the niggling voices in my head and slip more challenging paintings (like the dogs and water pieces or paintings of cows) into my rotation and not say a word. But part of the whole Painting a Dog a Day project has been sharing the struggles (and victories) along the way. And while I have always been honest about many ...

  Image design courtesy of  Spa Fine Art , Saratoga Springs, NY.       It is with great pleasure that I welcome  Spa Fine Art  into the Painting a Dog a Day family. Near historic Saratoge Springs Racetrack in upstate New York, Spa Fine Art is the latest gallery to represent my artwork.   As you may know, I make an annual summer sojourn to Saratoga to collect racing references and enjoy an artists retreat with a number of friends. Spa Fine Art is a favorite stop of ours - after we load up on pastries at Mrs. Londons, we gorge ourselves on the eye candy at the gallery.   Spa will hang a dozen of my paintings now, with plans to add new pieces in the coming months.   I think this will be the perfect partnership to showcase my love of equine paintings in particular, and I look forward to working closely with Spa Fine Art as we begin to share my paintings with a new audience.   You can check Spa out  on the web  and ...

  I never saw a purple cow. I never hope to see one. But I can tell you anyhow I'd rather see than be one.  -Gelette Burgess   "I Never Saw A Purple Cow," acrylic painting on panel, inspired by a photograph taken by  Douglas Nelson  (and used with his permission, thank you Doug !!), 6" square, $299 to the first one  asking nicely .   Actually, I totally want to be the purple cow. Because that cow creates wonder and makes others smile.    Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com     Using Photo References   Because the animals I paint rarely hold their poses long enough in the studio and leave a HUGE mess behind, I rely on photographs for the bulk of my work.   But that doesn't mean that I copy the photos religiously. Nor does it mean I can't take artistic liberties. I freely move things about, taking the essence of the photograph and turning it in...

  ORDER NOTECARDS/REPRODUCTIONS     "Momma and Me," 6" x 12", portrait of two dark cows (my bovine knowledge is clearly limited!), done in Golden Open and Heavy Body Acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord. Available for purchase for $369 - inquiries may come  to me.   I totally flaked on photographing today's progress, but I assure you it was a good time. If you want to see the earlier stages of the painting, check out  yesterday's blog .   There is SO MUCH color, it's like a rainbow leaked onto their sunwarmed backs.       Thanks so much for sharing my art with your friends and family, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    

ORDER NOTECARDS/REPRODUCTIONS "One Plus One," 8" square, portrait of two cows, done in Golden Open Acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord, $399 to the first one asking nicely. Inquiries, including starting that long-awaited discussion about your special commissioned portrait, may come to me . There are certain compositional rules in art, one being never put your focal point in the middle of your canvas. Another is not to break your painting up into equal spaces with the lines/structure of your composition. "Nah nah nah nah nah nah," is what I say. Sometimes, rules are meant to be broken. Many thanks to my friends Elizabeth and Doug Nelson for the sharing of their bovine muses. (I did get out of the studio recently and made the acquaintance of some longhorns and a handful of sheep, so stay tuned!) Thanks for sharing my artwork with your friends and family, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com The newest fairy door in our garden, this one emerging wit...

ABOVE and BELOW: Both in process views of new painting "The Gossips," 9" x12", Golden Open Acrylics on Ampersand Gessobord, available for purchase. I anticipate finishing this painting later today or tomorrow - please email me if you are interested in purchasing. A couple weeks back I asked on Facebook what sorts of critters you wanted to see me paint. Cows were an overwhelming favorite, and one follower went so far as to send me some fabulous reference photos. Doug Nelson is a phenomenally talented photographer, with gallery representation and plenty of experience shooting reference photos for his artist wife. I was beyond delighted to have his blessing to paint from a few of his bovine photos (please see below for more information on working from photographic references). I'm kicking myself for not capturing this piece's underpainting - the top 1/3 was a luscious violet, which you can still see peeking around the cows' toplines. The middle was ...