Paintings With Soul

"Turtledove's Bow," 9" x 12", acrylics on panel, featuring the studio namesake, Turtledove. Turtle loved any sort of neckwear, and during the holidays she sported all sorts of finery. This original painting can be yours for $99 + s&h - as always, inquiries may come to me . SOLD (thank you!) I miss this cat, especially at Christmas. She loved playing in the tree. Every morning, we would come down to find the beaded garland stripped from the tree, but not a single ornament out of place. I would watch her all day long, pretending I hadn't untangled and replaced the garland. And then, at some point while we were sleeping, she would quietly remove it, and drag it someplace to "kill." It's one of the many warm memories I have of this gentle, sweet kitty. Thanks, as always, for following my art, Warmly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    PSST:  All remaining inventory from my Toys series of paintings (the little 6"...

"Nest II (daVinci)," 12" x 12" x 1-1/2", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting everyone's favorite studio kitty daVinci. I think I can part with this painting. Well, provided the right family comes along. The piece is $699, which includes shipping and handling to a US address. Email me if you would like to bring daVinci (the painted, sleeping, well behaved daVinci) home. This painting has been on my wall for over 2 years. I loved it, but it was a sentimental sort of love for that particular memory of a tiny kitten. It wasn't the sort of love I have for pieces that are exquisitely painted which I can't believe came off my brush. Today I thought I'd try to capture that second sort of love. I repainted the entire surface with a combination of spatulas, wedges, fingers and tiny brushes.  There is a fabulous amount of texture and subtle layering of color happening here that just makes me grin ear to ear. And ...

"Turtledove," 2007, 8" square, acrylics on panel, depicting a wonderfully special ladybug, from my own personal collection. Fresh from the tough streets of Los Angeles, Turtle joined our family in 1991 - she came with both physical and emotional scars and an odd meow that sounded like a dove cooing. When I began the studio in 2000 (after leaving the traditional workforce), it seemed symbolically similar to the rebirth she experienced when adopted. And so it made perfect sense to name my business after her - and thus TurtledoveDesigns was born. Why am I doing the #YourTurn Challenge?? In October 2006 I started painting and blogging daily. I did it quietly, and at first only told a few close souls, so that I felt a sense of accountability. But I also didn't want to fail miserably in front of a huge audience. Clearly, in the past 7-/12 years, my audience has grown a bit beyond those first confidants. And there have been times I've drop...

From 2005, a gallery stretched painting titled "Bellyrub," starring one of my original studio muses, a rescued and timid calico named Turtledove. I couldn't find a record of how large this piece is, but I honestly didn't dig for that long. I'm guessing it was approximately an 18" x 24" gallery stretched canvas. Continuing yesterday's walk down memory lane , this week I'm sharing old pieces and talking about what I would do differently today. Here is a rather shockingly bad painting, and a few thoughts about how I would improve upon it.  But oh boy, does It burn my eyes to look at this one. 1. Can you tell this was a flash photo reference ? Hard shadows that do not indicate a light source, a "hot spot" of white on her belly, large unnatural reflections in her eyes, and no detail/depth in the shadows. And look at how flat the colors are - there is very little modeling inside her markings.   2....

"Ginger," 6" x 8", commissioned cat portrait, acrylic on museum quality panel, depicting a lovely diluted tortie, private collection (THANK YOU!).  Ginger was adopted by her family this summer - the Humane Society thought she was about 8 years old, but they were off a bit. The love of her family got Ginger digging deep to find a 9th life when she had a recent health scare. This painting is intended for her special someone. What an awesome gift! In process pics of Ginger's portrait are  here . Thanks so much for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Upcoming Workshops and Talks Social Media & Marketing, Jan 14, 2014 Coloriffic in Orlando Jan 31-Feb 1, 2014  - nearly full!

    AT RIGHT, "Lily" and AT LEFT, "Lucy," commissioned portraits, both 5" x 7". Each done in acrylics on museum quality panels, private collection (THANK YOU!!).    I started these two before the holiday - process pics are  on Facebook  - there's quite a few!   Now what to paint next? decisions, decision!! (and I could be painting for YOU -  ask me  about it!)   Thanks for supporting my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

    "Tiny Anne II," 6" x 6", portrait of an old Raggedy Anne doll, done in acrylics on museum quality panel, not for sale.    There is the popular belief that we artists just sit back and the paintings just paint themselves, and I want to assure you that this isn't further from the truth!   Artists work hard, honing how they see the world, practicing with their tools, and throwing out a LOT of art in the process. You don't see it because you aren't in the studio with us, but trust me, it happens. And even when I'm not in the studio, I'm painting in my head. Always mixing colors and rearranging form.   Ok, but I digress - back to Anne.   I repainted her (and cursed profoundly while doing so) probably 6 times yesterday. I knew that my issue was separating color from value, and because my doll was mostly flat, I needed to be paying extra attention to the values NOT the colors. And I also had to be studying color...

    "Bah Humbug," 12" square, portrait of studio muse Mona Lisa, done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, $599 to the first  asking nicely . Just don't disturb her sleep!   In-process photos can be seen on  the studio Facebook page .   And my Christmas gift to you? I've set Bah Humbug up on Fine Art America so that you may  order prints or notecards . Right. Now.    (You can also order prints of Mona's other two seasonal portraits,  "Holiday Lights"  and  "Candy Cane."   Prints start at only $22 and make a fantastic gift!)   Happy holidays!! Kim, who is tip-toeing around quietly ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    

  "Mia," 5" x 7", commissioned portrait of a diluted calico princess, acrylic on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries may come  to me .   In process photos of this painting can be viewed on  the studio's Facebook page . (You'll also find a recent conversation on tracing vs freehand drawing, a book recommendation, photos from this last weekend's journalling workshop, and a link to a new favorite artist's site.)         This commissioned portrait will join two other's in my collector's home. I am so blessed to have found an audience that connects with my work and returns, over and over, to gather more.   Tonight I will be toasting to everyone who's got one of my paintings in their life.   And to those who would like one someday as well, I'm looking forward to working with you!   Cheers, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com       Notecards? Reproductions? Originals? ...

  "Dagan," 4" x 6", commissioned portrait of my favorite kind of kitty to paint - calico! -  acrylic on panel, private collection (THANK YOU!).   Actually, I can't really say that calicos are my actual favorites, because I also totally dig on painting black cats. And all the stripes in tabbys are so much fun. And white kitties that aren't really white - they are pink and yellows and lavenders. And then there are seal points and tuxedos and multi-toed and manxes (love those tailless butts) and .....   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 you want to gift a portrait and my calendar is full, may I suggest a gif...

ORDER NOTECARDS/REPRODUCTIONS HERE "Turquoise Calico," 4" x 6", done in Golden Open Acrylics on a Raymar panel, depicting a calico baby girl, $239 to the first one  asking nicely . SOLD. I'm readying for a day-long intensive painting workshop in October, which means I am reviewing my own processes and revising the syllabus accordingly. This will be one of the new exercises I'll share. This painting was created using only 2 paintbrushes - a 1/4" flat and a small round. Which means the image starts out one large pool of color, slowly getting sculpted as the marks build up, creating more detailed shape and form. Wanna learn how to paint this way, along with some other tips on mixing fresh color and keeping your brushwork lively? Than please join me October 8th at the Orion Art Center for my "Mixing Color Not Mud" workshop. There's only a few spots left, so e mail  for further information. Thanks, as always, for looking at and s...

"Calico Patchwork," 4" x 6", Golden Open acrylics on a Raymar panel, depicting a slumbering calico curled up in a patchwork blanket, inspired by a kitty at Cat Headquarters inside Best Friends Animal Sanctuary . This painting is headed tomorrow to an exhibition at Margot's Gallery in Oxford Michigan (nothing like waiting till the last minute, eh?!), and will be available for purchase, exquisitely framed and priced at $309. Special thanks to the returning collector who snagged up yesterday's piece "Orange Tabby's Sunbeam" just a few hours after the paint had dried. I will be wrapping a big warm hug up with her painting. Now off to get this wee one glazed and into her party dress (aka frame). Artwork makes a wonderful gift. Now is the time to begin the portrait process if you want a spectacular holiday gift that is truly appreciated - inquiries may always come to me . Oh, and please don't forget about the ebay auctions of my watercolor...

"Turtledove," 8" square, acrylic on panel, depicting the artist's deceased calico, part of the "Happily Ever Afters" exhibition at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, $499 to the first taker. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . They Are With Us Still In the ways we move forward in our lives and bring our world forward with us, It is right to remember the names of those who gave us strength. We share a history with those lives. We belong to the same motion. They too were strengthened by what had gone before, drawn forward by compassion. Those who lived with and before us have not melted into the dust and have not disappeared. They are with us still. The lives they lived hold us steady. They remind us and call us back to ourselves. Their courage and love strengthen our own will. We, the living, carry then with us: we are their voices and their hearts. ...

ABOVE: "The Stacks (in process)" and BELOW, "The Stacks (finished)." 10" x 14", acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a calico cat among the inventory of a used book store, $599. Inquiries (including booking pet portraits, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . If you recall yesterday's post , I was concerned that the rear shelves of books detracted from the cat. The first thing I did was paint them over, using a wide brush and muted versions of the foreground colors. Then continuing with a wide brush, I added vaguer suggestions of titles and shadows, leaving all the detail work in the immediate foreground. I was careful, too, not to paint the shadows in the shelving as dark as the cat's markings - this creates some depth to the shelves and allows the cat to sit in a different plane that appears as though it is closer to the viewer. Several readers asked about placing the focal point in the center of the...

This is what's currently on my easel, an untitled 10" x 14" canvasboard that I've been working on for several days - another lesson painting! The subject matter is a cat absorbed in a wee bit of grooming; the setting is a used book store. You can see how I initially structured the composition - the rectangular shapes in the background represent the shelves of books, and there is a stack of books in the immediate foreground alongside the cat. Notice how everything intersects at her face? That is intentional, so there is no question about the focal point. Here she is a little further along. I've roughly masked in the various shapes and refined my drawing. At this point, I became concerned that the shelves of books might be a little overpowering - today I played with the background values and color saturation and devised a solution. Which I will share tomorrow! I welcome your title suggerstions, though. I'm tossing around "Casual Reading," "Read...