Paintings With Soul

"Waiting for Eloise," 11" x 14", commissioned pet portrait done specifically for a nursery and depicting a Norwich Terrier, acrylics on museum quality panel (sold, thank you so very much!). In process pics are here  All inquiries may  come to me . While one of my besties welcomed a sweet baby granddaughter this week, I found myself working on a nursery commission for a new collector expecting their first. And it got me reminiscing about The Man Child's nursery. He had the best room, with an A-frame ceiling and exposed beams and a full wall mural with a larger than lifesized Pooh and Christopher Robin. You know, the timeless image of them hanging on the bridge ? Yeah, I was inspired by that. And there was a generously sized antique rocker that housed us both through many a midnight feeding and lots of wonderful stories. Gulp. Nearly 21 years ago. My wish is the same for Baby Eloise. With the exception that I hope t...

My book of color, "A Dog Named Blue," was released about a year ago. The pages feature full color images of my paintings paired with clever color-centric phrases. You can see inside the book here , and order your own copy (or copies of any of my other publications) here . But keep on reading - you could win a copy, too! Last week the Warrior Princess got her wings. Those of you who have been long time subscribers know The Warrior Princess, a friend of my teenage daughter. When The Warrior Princess was diagnosed with leukemia last summer, many of you rallied by donating blood and platelets, purchasing artwork flagged as a fundraiser for her family, donating items for a charity event, and sending notes/cards /prayers of encouragement. You made a difference. Because of your love and support, she rallied for an extended stay with us. But last week, that time ended, and we said goodbye, fittingly, at a funeral service capped by a community-wide group hug. Be...

The cover of "A Dog Named Blue," now available from Blurb publishers. When I first painted Amelia I never imagined that she would be re-christened "Blue" and inspire a book. In her defense, Amelia had a number of other partners in crime - animals who's portraits seemed to fall into a specific color category and prompt color-centric names. In typical ADD fashion, my brain started spinning 100mph. What if I turned those muses' paintings into a picture book for animal loving kids? I shared my idea with three friends in the industry, and they eagerly offered their expertise. I am truly indebted to them. Illustrator and author Matt Faulkner and children's book author and literacy expert Kristen Remenar edited an early version of the draft. They suggested key plot/conceptual changes that made it oodles better. Designer Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson worked her magic, pairing the images with perfectly color...

    The cover of "A Dog Named Blue," a labor of love the last couple years.     "A Dog Named Blue," my first children's book, will be available for holiday gift giving. This year.   Some of my fondest memories are of reading with my kids, and this book was designed for just that - snuggling in with your little one and learning the names of colors. Together. I'm finishing up the last bit of editorial revisions, choosing paper quality, and determining binding options.   I'm very excited to share this book with you!! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   About Kimberly Santini 

I am now taking orders for giclees on two of my most popular paintings. "Day One," original painting now in a private collection. Giclees, image sized at approximately 8" x 10" with a generous white margin, $50 plus $15 s&h. $10 from the sale of each "Day One" giclee will be donated in the purchasers' name to Paws With a Cause. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . "Recommended Reading," original painting available for purchase. Giclees, image sized at approximately 11" x 14" with a generous white margin, $50 plus $15 s&h. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I am thrilled to share that my painting "Wanna go for a walk?", received an honoable mention at the Orion Art Center's All Media Show. If you recall, I mentioned last week that I was excited to see how well my new still life paintings fared in this exhibition. I had animated conversations with many at the opening, each of us sharing memo...

ARTISTS NOTE: Giclees are available of this painting. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . "Recommended Reading," from the "Tags, Toys & Treasures" series, 16" x 20", still life painting of vintage children's books and a mohair stuffed terrier, acrylic on board, original work $840. Limited edition of 25 giclees available, image size approximately 11" x 14", archival inks on beautiful artists' paper with white margin, $60 each. Inquiries on the original and reproductions may always come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . That is my copy of "The Stray," a book who's drawings I meticulously copied as a teen. I was mesmerized by Jamie Wyeth's use of line. I wish I could say that "The Pokey Little Puppy" was originally mine, too, but alas, it is a copy that I picked up at our library's used book store. I did spend many an hour hidden in my closet, reading "The Pokey Little Puppy...

"Kizzy Kitty," 8" square, commissioned siamese balinese cat portrait , private collection (THANK YOU!). Had I been really creative and on top of things, I would have painted something leaping today. Boy did I miss that one!! Instead, you get a very serene and proud cat. She is full of gorgeous muted color, if that makes up for my lack of proper planning in any way. (Color always makes me feel better, although I know it doesn't have the same effect on everyone!) Guess this is one of the downfalls of booking portraits so far in advance. I scheduled dog-a-day commissions for all of this year, and then realized I hadn't taken holidays into consideration, or even a vacation (what's that?!). I did go through my calendar and shuffle things around a little to allow myself time to work on projects, and give me a little r&r every so often. And this is my latest large scale Tags, Toys & Treasures painting, still in process, but I am so excited that I just had to...