Paintings With Soul

  Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Foxy" 18" x 24" x 1-1/2", acrylics and graphite on a lovely, deep, gallery stretched canvas, painting wrapped around the sides, $899 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Returning collectors get 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   So this fox showed up in an earlier painting ( Rabbit and Fox) , and I knew she wasn't done with me. Sure enough, last week she got drawn overtop an unresolved ballerina/dance/siren painting, and ever since then, she has had me beguiled. What is the message she's sending? I think I figured out what she was trying to tell me - to stop overthinking and questioning too much, and to just do. What do you suppose she's telling you, though? Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Stay well, Fondly, Kim

Inspired by the work of David Shevlino, done overtop a sketch completed in Aprils 30Dogs30Days. This is "red Shevlino," an 8x10 acrylic painting done on canvasboard. He is $199 plus s&hto the first asking nicely. I take paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come   to me   - thank you! Artists pull inspiration from a variety of sources. A revisit to The Little Prince firmly lodged the fox's words in my head:  "One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eye." And that got me thinking, how the heck do I paint things that are essential and therefore intangible? It got me googling last night - I started out with an exploration of edges and how various treatments achieve different results. I got distracted by   Gregory Manchess's   paintings, and ultimately ended up on   David Shevlino's   website (and of course I had gloriously colored, fractured, blurrey edged dreams!). This morni...

Above, in process, working title "Not Little Red," 24" x 30" x 1-1/2", acrylics on cradeled panel, $1299 plua a&h (when finished). I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come directly   to moi   - and thank you very much! Last night I read   Abby Wambach's   new book   Wolfpack , cover to cover. It woke my head and heart up in a quite remarkable way. And for a change, last night's dreams were not doom and gloom - they were packed full of women doing kind things for each other despite stressful and miserable circumstances. And there was always a wolf there, ever present. So I HAD to indulge myself today, despite a challenging to-do list. I HAD to acknowledge the wolf and spend more time with book's message - that women have the power within themselves to rewrite the rules. The painting's title hails from Abby's belief that we were never Riding Hood, we were always the wolf....

I knew every dog in our neighborhood by name. I had read every dog book my library owned at least twice. I had a poster on my bedroom wall of AKC recognized breeds from which I sketched regularly. I begged my parents for a dog, preferably a collie (who didn't want their own Lassie in the 70s?!). And I loved relentlessly on this dog, Bridget, my father's hunting companion. This painting was done somewhere around 1978-1982, I think. It was a gift of some sort for my Dad. It's 15" x 20", acrylics on art board. I remember working on it with a tiny brush (Present Kim's toes curl when she thinks of Past Kim painting large pieces with a tiny brush - like nails on a chalkboard) and thinking that it was The Bomb. Now it makes me cringe a bit. Obviously it's from a flash photograph - that reflection on the bean bag chair is undeniable. And Bridget herself is literally white and orange - there is no nuanced or reflected color happen...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Bailey and Charlie," 12" x 12" x 1/22", acrylics on museum quality cradeled panel, commissioned portrait and heading home soon. They no longer flood my various social media feeds, but I do still create one or two pet portraits each month. Because when all is said and done, there is nothing quite like delivering an original image that melds memories and emotions into the perfect summary of my clients' relationship with their special family members. Prices start at $399 for museum quality original paintings. I work from copyright free reference photos and your stories to create a treasured family keepsake. Turnaround is dependent upon my current workload, but averages several months (and can be much longer near the end of the year), so please plan accordingly. Inquiries may come directly   to me .

She Cracks Herself Up.  8" x 10", acrylics on museum quality panel, commissioned portrait of a goofy yellow lab, sold (TY very much). Inquiries may always come to   me . There's no gift quite as wonderful as a custom pet portrait. I paint from your photos, resulting in a surprise to unwrap that's like no other. Now is the time to start discussing and planning any holiday gifts you would like to commission. Museum quality portraits start around $400, and are priced according to size and complexity. If you have a smaller budget,   reach out to me   so we can discuss other options.

Tiny Fearlessly Steps into the Future Because He Lacks Reasoning Skills. His Bowl is Also Always Full of Kibble. 20" x 24", acrylics on panel, featuring a spunky daschund mix, $799 to the first asking nicely - inquiries may come  to me . Please and thank you. I wish I could be more like Tiny. Satisfied with kibble and chasing butterflies. I suppose starting by appreciating the simple things is a step in the right direction.

"The Best Gift Ever," 12" x 16", acrylics on museum quality panel, featuring an adorable and snuggly Golden Retriever puppy with a giant candy cane striped ribbon. This original painting is packed with texture and subtle color - it's truly a remarkable piece. And it can be yours for $629 - as always, inquiries may come to me . Gotta give a shout out to Karen Appleton , who's painted presents I have always loved. I'm sure you will love her work too! 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" square treasures) are now $50 plus s&h through December 10th, 2016. And yes, I will combine s&h on all orders. I've selected a few wonderful originals, including pieces never before offered, for special pricing through Saturday, December 10th, 2016. As I clean up the studio in the next few days, I may b...

"Wolf Study," 8" x 8", acrylics on panel, $199 + s&h to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come to me . Working with beautiful, harmonic color today, familiarizing myself with wolves and prepping for a library class I'm teaching tomorrow and Saturday. I'll lead packs of kids in making our own covers to the classic book Call of the Wild. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    Shop Reproductions Here

"Poppy," 36" x 48", from the Flores Animalum series of paintings, acrylics on panel, depicting a larger than life sized golden retriever crowned with a halo of bobbing poppies. Poppy is $3599 plus s&h. Payment plans available. Inquiries may come to me . The flowers represent the generous love and acceptance dogs give so freely. We could learn a lot from them. I started this painting last spring, then got too scared to finish it (yes, that happens to me too! far more often than I'd like to admit). It wasn't until yesterday morning, when I was actively avoiding cleaning off my desk, that she made it back onto my easel. And it's been a painting marathon ever since. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

FINISHED! "Mari(gold)," 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, depicting a golden retriever puppy sprouting a crown of marigolds - the flowers represent the years of beauty and joy a puppy brings to one's life, as well as the fragility of our time with each other. Mari's portrait is $925 plus s&h. Inquiries may come to me . SOLD (TY) I would be remiss if I didn't properly thank Team Husar Photography for my photo reference. Knowing her love of goldens, I shared my concept of a Marigold Golden Retriever. She responded with a couple photos, of which Mari was based upon. I have the best, most supportive team behind me! Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

"Salvador Doggie (Sal)," 24" x 48", acrylics, charcoal and ink on panel, featuring my newest muse, a rescued mixed breed. Details and in process pics are on Facebook , and I think the color there is far more representative of the painting. This piece is $1499, a total deal for the giant serving of joy it will bring, and that price includes shipping inside the US (I also ship worldwide for a small fee) - inquiries may always come  to me . Sal joined our family over the weekend. He came via a rescue organization and we know nothing about his past except that whoever it was who dumped him lost out big. He's a dear rat terrier mix with the brightest eyes and a wiggle butt who goes from 100mph to stop at the sign of a lap. Or a cookie. Didn't take him long to hit my easel, and I think his portrait sits as a great example of what I could do with your dog..... just think about it, then reach out if it's something you think you want to pursue! T...

"Arctic Roses," 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, featuring a howling white wolf amid a mass of ivory tea roses. This painting is another stunner - I struggled so hard to keep all the color soft and nuanced, and it was super hard (for me!). This one can be yours for $599, including complimentary shipping inside the US (also, as with all my work, payment plans are an option). Inquiries may come  to me . If you follow me on Facebook , you've gotten peeks at some of the other critters in the studio, including a ginormous rhinocerous. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

"Brodie," image approximately 6" x 6" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" bristol board, acrylics, commissioned portrait of a golden retriever puppy.  Don't you adore that cowlick running straight up his face? ALSO: seats are still available in my Tulsa workshop which is May 4th and 5th. More information can be found here . Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Andy," image approximately 5" x 6-1/2" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" bristol board, acrylics, commissioned portrait of a border collie-lab mix. This is one of the last painted sketches I have left to complete. I also managed to get some work done on a couple larger floral pieces. I am preparing a project and samples to submit to this year's ArtPrize. Send me good vibes (or a straight jacket - am I crazy to be painting a 5 foot square canvas?!) Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Abby," image approximately 5" x 5-1/2" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" bristol board, acrylics, commissioned portrait of a Catahoula-mixed breed dog. Abby's painting was one of the limited number of painted sketches I accepted in February - I have a few left to do still. These works on paper are so much fun to do. And do you see that I squeezed in a couple violets (flowers) here?  Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Sweetie," 12" x 12", acrylics with pencil on canvasboard, depicting a sleepy bull terrier amidst a jumble of sweetheart roses. $529 (with complimentary s&h inside the US) to the first asking nicely . SOLD (thank you!) I'm going through older paintings and giving some of them a facelift with a floral overlay. This particular piece has multiple layers underneath, but I am totally enamored with the newest incarnation. He would make the best Mother's Day gift. Roses that never fade, and a face that's always ready to snuggle. And here's a bonus painting for today - another one that will make a great Mother's Day gift - and it's only $329! Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

I'm taking a little break between commissions today, and thought I would try to combine my recent flower studies with a dog portrait. There's so much potential with this process! I have all sorts of ideas as to how I want to take the flowers/loose and bold painting approach and integrate it into my own style. The above piece is 12" x 16", acrylics with pastel accents on a museum quality panel. It can be yours for $399 - there's only one original, and the first one asking nicely gets it! Email me . Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

Currently untitled, this in process piece features Nita, one of my favorite muses. It's a commissioned portrait of her playing in the snow, one of her favorite pasttimes (as you well know from this painting Snow Much Fun ). This piece is 18" x 24" on a cradeled panel and already has a home (thank you very much!). Please let me know if you would like something similar starring your own dog. I'm taking an online flower painting class, and the techniques we are using, with lots of drips and dribbles and direct blending, are absolutely perfect for the underpainting of Nita's newest portrait. The approach gives a lovely otherworldly glow and there's some fabulous texture here that will be beautiful when sanded down a little. I love my job, getting to create this sort of thing for my family of collectors! Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim

From last December, this was a Christmas gift I couldn't share for fear of ruining the surprise. "Buster," 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, commissioned portrait depicting a family member who is dearly missed.  If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, let me know .  Rough day at the easel. I tried a particular composition at least 5 times, but I might as well just been sleeping at my desk. Still not clear why it wasn't working, but I did fine tune my sanding and wiping skills. Then I went and ate a lot of cheese. I've been on a cheese kick lately. And worked on my new website. Now I'm off to teach art journaling class. The day hasn't been a total waste. Thanks for your interest in my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com